The Heart of a Dragon
by Vingle
Summary: All beings, alive or not, have feelings. They each have their own heart, which beats with the strength of Arceus herself. When someone refuses to believe that, that person is lying. Every single individual, has feelings. Everyone. Even if they are gods.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of Existence

_The Heart of a Dragon_

_By: Vingle_

**I**** do not own Pokémon, or any of its characters. This was just a story I wanted to right. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Beginning of Existence**

My life began in the darkness.

At first, I was quite content. But after a while, I started to feel cramped, claustrophobic. It was like this place was getting smaller each day.

I started to feel around. I felt a wall in every direction.

I yearned to be set free, to see what lay outside.

After pounding against a wall for what seemed like hours, I sank down, exhausted. When I regained my breath, I tried again, to no avail.

Months passed. Maybe even years. There was no way for me to keep track of the time.

I felt that my sanity was slowly slipping away with each passing second. Soon, I would go mad.

Suddenly, there was a voice. It was powerful and commanding, ordering me to free myself from this shell, to see what lay outside. I gathered up my strength and rammed against the wall as hard as I possibly could. I heard something crack, renewing my hope. I felt a strange power build up inside of me. I opened my maw and released a bright blue ball of energy that exploded when it came in contact with the wall.

Excited, I jumped at the wall, only to crash into it. Filled with despair, I collapsed into a heap. I punched the wall in disgust at my own incompetence.

Suddenly, the wall cracked, light pouring through the tiny hole. The light hurt my eyes, yet I still looked.

Then it fell apart, every piece making a ringing sound when it hit the floor.

I felt myself tumble into a new place. I opened my eyes slightly.

I found myself in a bright place, neither cold or warm. There was a pool of liquid beside me that aroused my curiosity, but it was nothing compared to what I saw next.

A majestic being of great power loomed in front of me. It was white with gray lining its underside and face, with a long mane and had eyes similar to mine, when I saw my reflection in the water.

It leaned forward, and touched my head with its head.

"Rise, child. Rise, for you are needed. I have been expecting you." The voice said. I now thought it sounded slightly feminine, but I could not be sure, as my hearing was not very precise. It was gentle, yet commanding.

I looked up at her.

"You have been asleep for a long time. Do you feel ill?"

I shook my head.

"Excellent. You may rest for today. Tomorrow, I will bring you to your home. There, you will learn how to fulfill your duty."

I nodded.

"Now, I need to give you a name. I believe you shall approve of this" She bent her head down so close that her head was inches away from mine.

"Your name shall be…Giratina." she whispered softly. Her voice sounded like a lullaby. The name seemed to make me feel more confident, more complete.

"Now sleep, child." whispered her voice. "Your destiny awaits."

Then, sleep finally claimed me.

_Your destiny awaits._


	2. Chapter 2: New Blood

**Chapter 2: When Old Meets New**

Giratina woke up with a start. He looked around the cavern. It was still dark. He wondered what was to come today.

As he approached the pool to drink, he thought of what happened yesterday.

_I saw the world for the first time-outside of my egg at least. A strange being was apparently waiting for me. I didn't even know her name, but she gave me mine. Giratina. It's strangely fitting for me. Does it mean something? What is this 'training' she mentioned? I shall find out today._

The water felt cool and refreshing in his mouth.

"Did you have a good rest?" Asked someone. It startled him and he whipped around to see her.

It was the strange being from yesterday.

"Do not be alarmed. It is only I. It is time for you to come to your new home." She stated.

He nodded.

"Come."

They walked through a tunnel. After what seemed like hours of journeying, they finally arrived at what seemed to be a portal of some sort.

He asked her what her name was. "Arceus." She said with a smile.

They stood in silence for a few moments.

Then she spoke. "You must continue alone from here."

"Why?"

"Because you must. Do not be afraid. Your mentor is waiting for you."

"But-" He started, but she cut him off.

"All will be right. Remember that I will always be with you."

He nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped through the portal.

His surroundings disappeared, to be replaced by a strange world, with a vast space beyond him, not unlike his time spent in his egg.

There were strange colours and buildings from a distance. He leaned forward to get a closer look.

"Welcome to the reverse world." Stated an unmistakably male voice from behind.

He turned around to see an ancient version of himself, though he looked as if though his life force had faded (Giratina could see through him). His eyes looked weary and tired, but there was a fierceness in them that warned Giratina that he was much stronger than he appeared.

"Wh-who are you?" Stammered a scared Giratina.

"The current keeper of the reverse world. But you are the true keeper of this world; I am simply here to keep it stable until you are experienced enough to take over my duties."

Giratina's shock was starting to fade. "What is your name?"

"I have no name."

"Surely you must be called by something?"

The older Giratina had a thoughtful look on his face for a minute.

"You may call me…teacher."

"Yes, teacher."

"And what is yours, young pupil?"

"Giratina."

"Giratina, eh? Not a bad name. It suits you….." He commented as he eyed Giratina. Giratina felt a spark of pride at the compliment.

"When are we going to start with the training, teacher?" Asked Giratina, who was starting to get impatient.

Teacher leaned closer and said something that confused Giratina. "Attack me."

"What?"

"You heard what I said. Attack me."

"Are you sure?"

"Do it now, or I will crush you into a cube."

Giratina readied himself. Then he lunged.

Teacher sidestepped him and he crashed to the ground.

"Giratina, you must be quicker! You will never be able to strike someone if you move as slow as that!" As he observed Giratina with an expression close to disgust.

"This is my first time!"

"That makes no difference. Will your enemies care if it is your first time fighting? Will that make them take mercy on you? You do not want yourself in that position, Giratina. I can promise you that."

Giratina thought of the way Teacher moved, and decided to try something unusual.

He leapt at Teacher, but just as Teacher was about to strike him, he twisted to the side, bounced off the floor, and slammed into the unsuspecting dragon.

"Very good, Giratina." Said teacher as he got up. "Unpredictability and surprise are your greatest weapons; but be prepared for every outcome. You do not want to be felled by your own moves."

Then Teacher took a deep breath, and unleashed a deafening roar that knocked Giratina to the side of a building.

"That is exactly what I mean." Said Teacher.

Giratina gave a pained grin. "I know." Then, with lightning speed, he was up again and using his wings (or at least what resembled them) to strike at teacher with a great ferociousness.

"Good thinking, young pupil. Your perseverance and resilience will make you a formidable enemy." Said teacher just before he was levitated into the wall of an adjacent building. "Not to mention scary." He groaned.

"Your right. You jumped so high that your stuck to the ceiling!" Laughed Giratina.

"Where did you learn that?"

"I'm not sure, it just came to me."

"You learn fast. You will make me proud. I know it."

"Thank you, Teacher."

"Now, enough for today! We shall resume tomorrow. But now, enjoy yourself!"

Giratina spent the rest of the day exploring the Reverse World. He learned about many new locations and objects, but what interested him the most was that he could see another world through the reflections on water. He wondered what that world held, but decided to leave that mystery for another day.

At the end of the day, Giratina found himself exhausted. He decided to go to sleep so that he would have his strength for tomorrow. Training would be harsh.

As he lay down, he thought about how fast he was growing up.

_I've been in this world for only a little bit, but I am already being trained to rule and keep an entire world. I want to get stronger. Who knows what will happen in the future? I intend to change this world; and the other. For better or for worse, only time will tell._

_Nothing will be the same again, by the time I'm done with the world. This world will not forget the name of Giratina._


	3. Chapter 3: The Awakening of The Order

**Chapter Three: The Awakening of the Order**

Giratina was thrilled.

Teacher had just told him that he was ready for the next step in his training.

He had been learning from Teacher for over 3 months now. Teacher knew he that great power resided within him, it was just that he needed to control his emotions.

"Giratina! You must learn to keep your emotions from taking the better of you! They will make you a stronger being later in life, but you can't succeed like this!" Scolded Teacher after Giratina destroyed a portion of the reverse world because Teacher had yelled at him one too many times.

"Learn to keep control!"

"I'm trying!"

"Not hard enough, I'm afraid."

"Fine, Teacher." Mumbled Giratina under his breath.

"Giratina, the key to not being overtaken by your instincts is to not be provoked in the first place. Do not let the comments of others bother you. Ignore them just as you would ignore a Magikarp."

"What's a Magikarp?"

"A common species of pokémon found in the water. Extremely weak, but after enough experience, they evolve into the fearsome Gyrados. But that's going off-topic.

"What do they taste like?"

"…Something like pokéblocks mixed with water and vinegar, I suppose…your getting off topic, Giratina."

"Sorry, Teacher."

"Now, where were we?"

"You were at the part where you were telling me to ignore other people."

"Their **comments**, not them! And only the negative ones! But do not except reasonless praise. Being proud does you no good.

"I understand. But what if someone were to comment you with an insult that sounds like praise?"

"You have keen memory and logic, young pupil. They are valuable gifts. A disguised insult? An insult is an insult. No questions asked."

"If my friends were to say something like that to me…"

"If it is a friendly gesture, they do not mean it. You can tell if someone is no longer your friend. Their actions tell more than their words. You have begun to think."

"Not think, Teacher. I just realized the truth."

"Wise words, Giratina. Do you feel any more anger?"

"No, thinking made me take my mind off it."

"Perhaps that is your solution. Think. If it takes your mind off your anger, it works. You have matured. We will start the next step of your training tomorrow.

Giratina was surprised. "Thank you, Teacher."

The next morning, Teacher took Giratina to a strange land, full of plants and other life.

Giratina walked over to a tree and nudged it curiously. "What is this place?"

"This is the other world; the opposite of ours."

"I didn't know this existed."

"We all learn new things as we go along."

"Giratina, did you notice that your body has changed?"

Giratina looked at himself. He now had proper wings. He also found out he had legs. Six of them.

"What's happened to me?"

"Just the change of gravity. It happens you switch worlds. You will return to normal when you go back to the reverse world.

That thought relieved him.

"I have taught you everything I know, but you need something to define yourself from the rest of us. You are the first Giratina, but not the last. Everything has an end."

Giratina was thinking.

"Your heart and your thinking already make you unique, but you need something more. Something like your own attack."

"But why me?"

"Because you earned it. You were my first and only friend. You suffered months of pain from my lessons. But that has made you stronger."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just promise me that you will be a good keeper of the gate."

"I promise."

"When you are attacking, what do you find hard to do?"

"My opponent usually keeps moving, making it hard for me to get at it. Normally, I can deal with it, but in groups, that becomes a weakness."

"You must seek to eliminate that. Search deep inside yourself, use your logic, and see if you can style some attack from your powers."

Giratina's thinking was interrupted by a loud noise from a nearby building. Giratina went to get a better look. A pane of glass had shattered, spraying shards everywhere. It was a small pane, but the rain of glass had covered a large area.

_I wonder if I were to utilize that on my enemies…_

He decided to try the concept out. He drew in a deep breath, created a ball of dark energy in his mouth, aimed at a cluster of trees, and launched it. A few milliseconds after he had fired it, he split the orb into jagged shards of dark energy and flew to the cluster at a dangerous velocity.

The impact sliced most of them in half. The ones that did not get lacerated, however, had the shards still impaled in their bark. The shards disappeared after a few moments, but the wounds didn't disappear. Instead, they looked as if they were infected. The infection spread along the trees and they started drooping and crumbling.

Giratina realized he was controlling the flow and quickly canceled it. He observed the site. _I have to do that more efficiently. I could have destroyed the entire patch. I shall need more practice._ But he was quite satisfied with his creation.

"Good work, young pupil!" Said Teacher as he lumbered through the forest towards Giratina. "I was surprised to find you apply an idea that quickly. I was right in choosing to take you here."

Giratina beamed at that comment and stood a little straighter.

"Good morning, Giratina." Called a voice from behind. It was Arceus. Beside her was a younger and smaller version of herself, but it seemed far more energetic. It ran around its mother's legs and jumped into a nearby clump of grass.

"Good morning, Arceus" Said Teacher. Giratina stayed silent.

"I see you have been training."

"We are. And who is that, dear Arceus, the one that runs like a Rapidash?"

"She is my daughter. When she matures, she will take up the mantle of Arceus, creator and keeper of this universe."

"I see."

"Giratina, I would like you to meet her. She is shy, but I am confident you will be a good influence on her."

"Yes, Arceus."

Arceus nudged her daughter towards Giratina. She stepped slowly towards Giratina with a scared look. Giratina held out a paw and she took it shyly.

"Would you like to play tag?" She stammered.

"Certainly." Replied Giratina. He knew Arceus expected him to accept, and he didn't intend to give her doubt.

"Catch me if you can!" Shouted Arceus' daughter as she disappeared in a burst of light and smoke.

"I hate running." Muttered Giratina as he took off after her.

After their game of tag, Giratina carried her on his back to return to Arceus and Teacher. He was already fond of her. He smiled at the sleeping child.

_I felt something new today. Something different. Unlike anything I have felt before. I feel connected to her. I want to protect her. It is my choice._

_And I choose to defend her with my life._


	4. Chapter 4: When New Friends Appear

**Chapter 4: When New Friends Appear**

Giratina was flying above Alamos town, enjoying the fresh air that blew around him. He had slept in late, as that game of tag with Arceus' daughter had exhausted him. **And** he had carried her back. He thought about the events of yesterday.

_What shall I do today? Teacher doesn't have any lessons for me today. I'd like to spend more time with that child of Arceus', but I'm probably going to get dragged into another game of tag. Tag. It's fun, but I'm not a running sort of being. Not my forte. There's no one else around to play with. Arceus informed me that I was one of the first creatures she created, so there should be more people around to play with._

Then his thoughts drifted to his discovery yesterday.

_I know! I'll practice that attack I invented. Teacher warned me that I shouldn't destroy things needlessly, though. Maybe I can practice on the water. Damn. The fish. More trees? I bet the ones I killed yesterday had squirrels or beehives in them. Ugh. This is going to be harder than I thought._

He flew over the forest looking for anything to practice on. Some mountains caught his eye.

_Perfect. Not delicate enough to shatter at the slightest touch. I may collapse them though. _He shivered at the thought of what Teacher might do to him if he found out. _I'll take my chances. Even if it means risking my sanity to that crazy mentor of mine._

He swooped beneath a pair of Starlys who flew away at his presence. He did not bother chasing them. He did not hunt small pokémon who barely weighed 2 kilograms.

As he flew around the mountains, he collected a ball of energy in his mouth and released it; splitting it into jagged pieces just after it had launched.

Most of the shards sank into the mountain, though some hit unsuspecting pokémon and either killed them instantly or fatally injured them.

He flinched as he saw a Donphan fall over as a shard pierced its skull. He mentally made a note to himself to get closer to the target next time.

As he observed the damage, he realized it was more dangerous than he originally thought. He flew to a desert to continue his practice. After hours of experimentation, he realized he could control the general direction of the shards and their velocity. He could not use the to hit pinpoint targets, as that the nature of the attack was not capable of accurate targeting. He could change their direction midair, separate certain shards from the rest, combine some to form bigger ones, but he simply could not have them hit a bullseye.

_I shall have to find a way around that. They also tend to spread if I'm not controlling them. Still, I have made this attack more efficient and effective. Refinement will come later._

He decided to go back home.

When he got back, he was surprised to find Teacher waiting for him.

"Where were you all morning?" Demanded Teacher gruffly.

"Improving that move I invented yesterday."

"Leave that for later. Come with me. There is something important you have to see."

"What is it?"

"You'll see."

When they arrived at Giratina's birth site, he was shocked to see several more eggs lying on the floor. Some were jerking back and forth. Others were still as night.

Arceus and her daughter were standing near the eggs. So were Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. They all turned and faced Giratina as he entered the cave.

"Giratina, do you know who these eggs will bear?" Said Arceus in a soothing voice.

"No." Answered Giratina uncertainly.

"They are your friends and rivals."

"Rivals?"

"You cannot be friends with everyone, Giratina. There will always be someone who does not like you. That is the way of life."

"I see."

Giratina averted his gaze from Arceus, only to have it rest on her daughter. From the corner of his eye he saw Mesprit exchange an amused glance with Azelf. He looked away, with a blush on his cheeks. She **was **the being of emotion, after all. Mesprit could probably detect his affection for Arceus' child from halfway around the world.

He noticed that two of the eggs were rocking on the ground very rapidly. A crack appeared on one. A piece of the shell fell away. It fragmented in another place. After a few moments, it shattered. It was white, with purple stripes. There was a crest on its head. It looked around curiously, with its gaze resting on Arceus.

She leaned forward and touched it's head with her chin, not unlike what she had done with Giratina. She then whispered its name.

"Your name shall be…. Palkia."

Palkia seemed to perk up at hearing his name being spoken for the first time.

"Now sleep, child." Palkia obeyed instantly.

The second egg, a light blue and teal shell with a diamond encrusted into it, had partially broken. A small blue head poked out of the crack. It struggled for a few more seconds before it shattered the egg with a great heave of its body.

Giratina leaned forward to get a better look at it.

It stumbled around a bit, before stopping in front of Giratina. It looked up at him with wide eyes with a mixture of respect and fear.

Giratina extended a wing to welcome it to this world.

It nuzzled his wing warmly, before Arceus got its attention by saying its name: Dialga.

She touched its head with her chin, and commanded Dialga to go to sleep.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Stated Arceus lovingly.

"I agree. I don't think I'll see anything more amazing in my life than that." Answered Teacher.

"Oh, I don't think so." Said Arceus amusingly. "Tomorrow, they'll be doing things you've never even imagined."

The Next Day

Giratina heard a squealing noise from the egg room. He went to see what was going on.

He floated in to find Palkia tackling Dialga.

"Stop it, Palkia! That hurts!" squeaked Dialga.

"Learn to withstand it!" Yelled Palkia as he jumped on her again.

"Ow!" Cried Dialga.

"I don't think that's wise, Palkia." Said Giratina firmly as he floated towards them.

Palkia got off Dialga and looked at him with bewildered eyes.

"Who are you?" He said.

"I am Giratina."

"Well, leave me alone! This is none of your business!"

"Do not bully your companions. They may develop a grudge towards you."

"What's a grudge?" Asked a confused Palkia.

"They may hold a long term hatred of you. Sometimes it can last for a lifetime. You don't want Dialga to do the same."

"Oh…sorry Dialga." Said Palkia sheepishly.

"It's ok. I forgive you." Said Dialga.

She looked up at Giratina with an expression filled with gratitude.

"Thanks for helping! I remember you from yesterday! You were the first thing I saw!"

"Your welcome. It was my-oof!" As Dialga hugged him before he could finish his sentence. He returned the hug.

He decided to invite Palkia and Dialga to a game of tag with Arceus' daughter.

"Would you like to play tag?"

"What is that?" Asked them both in unison.

"A game where you run around trying not to get touched by the person that is 'it'."

"Sounds fun! Can we play it now?"

"Sure. Let's go and find that child of Arceus!

As they ran toward the cave exit, Giratina thought to himself.

_How cute. It makes me think of my own birth. The only person I could talk to was Teacher. I couldn't even play with him. Well, I'm going to try to make sure these new friends of mine have a great childhood. Maybe we can grow up as friends. Maybe. I can sense that something grave is coming. It may traumatize them, no matter what I do. But I'll still try._

_I must._


	5. Chapter 5: The Flight of The Dragons

**Chapter 5: The Flight of The Dragons**

Giratina, Palkia and Dialga were traveling through the mountains. They would be gone for a year. But it would be worth it.

They were journeying for their respective orbs.

These orbs were to enhance the power of the user, but it had to apply to a unique genetic code. Otherwise they would be useless.

It was a year since Palkia and Dialga first hatched. They weren't exactly friends, but at least Palkia stopped bullying Dialga.

_No doubt Arceus hid these orbs so we have to travel our wings off. We've barely gone 5 kilometres and I'm tired. Flying is more my style. Not trekking through undergrowth and trees. We can't fly because there's too many pokémon flying around. As if we care for they're little lives._

Giratina was still grumbling to himself when Palkia pointed excitedly at the lake.

"There it is! Lake Verity! Arceus told us we were supposed to enter the cave and search for it!"

"But it's in the middle of the lake!" Exclaimed Dialga.

"What's so bad about water?"

"I don't like the feel of it. I feel as if it drags me down."

"Aw, is Dialga scared of a little water?"

"Don't be mean!"

"I bet you're so heavy that you would sink if you tried swim-ouch! That hurt!" Said Palkia as Giratina hit with his wing.

"We have a quest to undertake. Do not waste time." He said.

"Fine."

They stopped at the edge of lake. Dialga looked around uneasily. She peered at the cave. Then her face lit up.

"Hey! Doesn't Mesprit live there?"

Giratina remembered Mesprit. The being of emotion. He would have to be careful around her. He thought about when she was amused at his affection for Arceus' daughter. His heart skipped a beat thinking about her.

_Don't get distracted, Giratina. Focus on obtaining the orbs. Power. What is the point of it all? I don't care for power. Is it to strengthen the bond between my companions and me? I was strong enough to lift that bolder Arceus' child was trapped under. She was filled with gratitude when I did that. I felt-stop thinking about her! You can think about her when you get back home._

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He looked at the wings on Palkia's back.

"Can you fly?" He asked.

"Of course." Palkia answered back.

"Then be prepared to use your wings.."

"What do I need to fly for? I can swiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmm!" He screamed as Giratina picked him up and threw him to the cavern.

Dialga was rolling on the ground with laughter. She went on for 5 minutes.

"My sides hurt." She giggled.

Palkia took control of his flight when he was almost to the cave. He slowed his descent by fluttering his wings. He slowed, but not enough to not crash.

"What was that for?" Yelled Palkia as he got up.

"You were bragging too much. You're the only one who can swim. So I decided to get you through quicker." Answered Giratina.

"I guess you did that."

"I guess I did."

Dialga looked up at Giratina.

"I can't fly yet." She whispered.

He bent down stroked her head with his wing. "You'll be fine." He said soothingly.

"How?"

"I'll fly you over. Climb up." He ordered. She obeyed.

He pushed himself off the ground with his six legs. He soared through the air with Dialga clinging tightly to his back.

"This is amazing!" She yelled over the wind.

"It is."

He landed on the sand and skidded to a stop. Dialga hopped off and ran into the cave.

"Come on!" She yelled excitedly.

"Coming!" He answered.

As he followed her, he noticed that Palkia was glaring at him. As he looked into his eyes, he saw anger, envy and jealousy.

_Jealousy? Why would he be jealous? He seems to envy me for some reason…is it because of Dialga? That She's closer to me than him? I'll ask Uxie later._

They entered. The passage seemed to slope downwards. As they traveled further, light became scarcer.

They were lucky that all legendaries had night vision.

When the passage ended, Giratina found himself facing a portal. Palkia was trailing behind him. Dialga had gone ahead.

"Palkia, go through this portal!" He called before he went through.

He found himself in a dark cave. Pink lights glowed on the walls. There was a glow emanating from the middle. Dialga was looking at it curiously. He stepped forward cautiously.

"Hello, Giratina." Came a soft voice from behind. He slowly turned to face Mesprit.

"How are you?"

"Fine. And you?"

"I'm not sure."

She tilted her head. "You are here for the orbs of power, are you not?"

"How do you know?"

"I know many things. Being bonded with Uxie has its advantages."

She turned to face the glow in the middle of the cave. Dialga was looking at her.

"I think you were watching me when I hatched…" Said Dialga.

"You are correct."

"So what is that in the middle?"

"It is an orb."

"Be specific, please."

"The Lustrous Orb. It corresponds to Palkia."

"Where is he?"

Giratina looked around the room. Palkia was nowhere to be seen. He peered at the portal. Suddenly, Palkia hurtled through it and ran into Giratina. Giratina pushed him off roughly.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"…Nothing."

"Where you sulking?"

"…"

"Sulking won't rid you of your problems. Besides, you need to obtain the Lustrous Orb."

"What's that?"

"Look at the middle of this cavern."

Palkia looked. He saw through the light. He reached out to take it, but something was holding him back.

"It is a barrier, designed to keep unwanted people away. You must prove yourself in battle." Said Mesprit.

"With who?"

"With him." She stated.

Something grabbed Palkia and through him into a wall. As he flew through the air, Palkia saw that it seemed to be a creature made out of stone.

He groaned as he got up.

"I AM REGIROCK." It said to him.

"You didn't have to throw me into a wall."

"ENEMIES SHOW NO MERCY. THEY WILL KILL YOU WITHOUT HESITATION."

"…Fine."

Palkia steadied himself and faced Regirock. He wasn't scared. He felt exhilarated. He motioned for Regirock to come to him. Regirock charged.

The battle had begun.


	6. Chapter 6: When Fate Intervenes

**Chapter 6: When Fate Intervenes**

Regirock charged, while Palkia leapt to the side.

Giratina saw that he was charging a water pulse.

He threw the ball of water at Regirock. It hit him on the chest. It didn't do much, except that it made Regirock angry.

Regirock used ancient power. It knocked Palkia off his feet. Dialga was watching with a worried look.

Palkia avoided getting his skull bashed in from a hammer arm by slamming into Regirock rather than trying to avoid it.

Palkia knocked Regirock away with Aqua Tail. Giratina wondered how he was strong enough to do that.

Regirock charged Zap Cannon while Palkia was preparing an Aura Sphere. They threw them at each other. An enormous explosion engulfed the cavern, Giratina had to squint threw the smoke to see. Both were still standing.

Regirock used Superpower on Palkia; he pummeled him with all his might.

Palkia swayed, then collapsed on the ground. Regirock walked closer to him. "ARE YOU GOING TO FAIL NOW, AFTER ALL YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH?" He asked.

"…No…" Was all Palkia managed to come out with.

"THEN I'M AFRAID YOU WILL." Stated Regirock dispassionately as he charged up a Hyper Beam.

"HYPER BEAM!"

"Spacial Rend!"

The pink crescent sliced through the blast to hit Regirock. A flash appeared, the space around Regirock was distorted and warped, and he was thrown against the wall. He struggled to get up, but both Hyper Beam and Palkia's Spacial Rend took their toll on him. Palkia stepped towards him.

"Hydro Pump." He growled.

The huge blast of water blew Regirock apart. The pieces went flying around the cavern. Mesprit looked at what remained of the wounded Regi.

"He will be fine." Mesprit stated quite calmly. "Regeneration is one of his skills, but he knows he's been beaten. The orb is yours."

Palkia slowly stepped towards it. Giratina wondered why he was hesitant. He reached out to touch it, but wavered.

"I don't know if I can be trusted with power." He said to both Giratina and Dialga.

"Wise words. The ones best suited for power are those who don't seek it. Because you understand your predicament, you will not stray from your path. You are worthy to wield it."

"He's saying you'll be fine." Put in Dialga encouragingly.

"Thanks." He seemed to brighten up at her comment.

He gently took the pulsing orb form it's resting place and teleported it to an unknown dimension, probably one that he was personally associated with.

"That's to keep it safe. It can't get stolen if I'm the only one who has access to it." He explained to them.

"Good thinking." Complemented Giratina. "Where did that attack of yours come from?"

"The pink blade one?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. It just came to me. An overwhelming desire to prove myself."

"To whom?"

"…"

Giratina was very curious. He wondered about Palkia's response.

_I wonder whom he wants to prove himself to. I don't think he wants to prove himself to me. Arceus? Maybe, but she and Mesprit are separated by huge distances. Himself? Nah. He's already perfect in his own eyes. Dialga? Hmm. He did seem jealous at my connection with her. I wonder if this rivalry will turn serious…_

After they left Lake Verity, they discussed what would come next.

"Palkia, did you feel anything when you touched it?" Dialga asked.

"I felt stronger, more focused, more…passionate." He finished hesitantly.

"I'm glad that you got stronger!" She announced cheerfully.

"Only time will tell if it is for better or for worse." Added Giratina grimly.

"I can't blame you." Said Palkia. "I don't trust myself either."

_He understands. Maybe I can trust him. Maybe he can-_

His thoughts were overshadowed by a large noise from the lake. Someone was entering the cave. Half of the entrance was blown apart.

He looked at Palkia and Dialga. Their eyes were wide with fear. "Run." He told them. Palkia grabbed Dialga and started forward, but Dialga broke his grasp looked at Giratina with questioning eyes.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'll catch up. Now go."

"I'll stay and help!"

"It's too dangerous! Go!"

The tone in his voice made her run for all she was worth. He watched her form fade from the distance. Then he turned and dashed to the lake.

He triggered his ghost form. It weakened him slightly, but he traveled faster because of it. He passed through trees, rocks, and pokémon as if they weren't there. It also had the added benefit of turning him invisible, though he could reveal himself at will.

When he reached the lake, he was shocked to discover that some strange people were carrying an unconscious Mesprit out of the cave. They were wearing black and white uniforms with a yellow symbol on the front. Rage boiled inside of him as he realized that they had destroyed the cavern and were kidnapping Mesprit.

With a roar, he sped over the water and materialized in front of them. They gasped in surprise and shock at his sudden appearance. One of them ran off with Mesprit. He began to follow but was attacked by a Skuntank, Golbat, Toxicroak, Crobat and Tangrowth. He knew that it would be a hard battle in his weakened state, but he had to push on.

A vine wrapped around Giratina, obviously caused by Tangrowth. Skuntank used Momento, which severely limited Giratina's strength.

On the plus side, Skuntank fainted due to the mental toll Momento inflicts on the user.

He ripped away from the vines and burned Tangrowth with Will-O-Wisp. He then Heal Blocked everyone within range, which turned out to be lucky, as Tangrowth then used Giga Drain on him.

_I have to finish this quickly. I am losing strength at a perilous rate. Exhaustion will claim me soon. I have no choice. I must rescue Mesprit._

He charged a ball of dark energy in his mouth. Then he launched at the group of pokémon attacking him. As he expected, they leapt to the side.

That's when he shattered the ball into pieces.

He looked around. Most of the attacking pokémon lay incapacitated on the ground. Only Tangrowth and Golbat remained. Their mouths were open in shock.

He charged an Aura Sphere in each wing, ran to the two remaining members of their once formidable group, and slammed the glowing balls of energy into their faces.

They collapsed without a sound, albeit the explosions that would inevitably come from using Aura.

As he stumbled out of the crater in the ground, more pokémon of those god-forsaken kidnappers appeared.

_I will show them my might. They will learn that I am not to be defeated by weaklings._

He gave the mightiest and most dangerous roar that he could muster. A little more than half flinched; the rest cowered on the ground.

"This is going to end, right here, right now." He stated in a cold voice. No one challenged him.

He launched himself into the air, and gathered all of his remaining strength.

_May Arceus Help Me._

"**DRACO METEOR!" **

The comets rained at his will.

None of the pokémon said anything, but the words were etched on their faces: Oh, shit.

The explosions ripped through the Sinnoh region, devastating anything in their wake. Everyone had to be evacuated. Many believed that Arceus was raining Judgement on them. That was far from the truth. In other words, Giratina wiped that particular area off the face of the Earth.

Giratina swayed, then plummeted towards the forest below. He was losing consciousness. In that brief period before he blacked out, he promised himself.

_I will rescue Mesprit. I will make her kidnappers pay. I will see Arceus' child again. I do not need to swear to myself. Because I know I will._

_Nothing will stop me from my path._


	7. Chapter 7: When A Journey Goes Wrong

**Chapter 7: When A Journey Goes Wrong**

After a 4 months of trekking to the Hoenn region and back to obtain Dialga's Adamant Orb, they finally reached home.

"Hello, you two." Greeted Teacher. "Where is Giratina?"

"I'm not sure." Replied Dialga with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"He said he would meet up with us later." Put in Palkia.

"What is this about Giratina?" Asked Arceus as she strolled in, her daughter beside her.

"Uh…" Mumbled Dialga, losing her voice.

"Well, speak up!" She urged gently.

"We have the Lustrous Orb! That Adamant too!" Palkia shouted excitedly. He summoned both to his hands. Arceus glanced at it.

"That is good, but you are diverting from the topic."

"…Mesprit was kidnapped by some strange humans…" Dialga said with great difficulty, turning pale.

Arceus stayed silent. Her daughter looked concerned, worry showing in her light green eyes.

"Giratina told us to run. I think he tried to stop them."

"He wasn't ready…" Muttered Teacher. His eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Asked Palkia.

"Three things: Mesprit hasn't contacted Arceus for a while; she usually does so every week. At about the time she went missing, I felt a tremor in both worlds; apparently a section of the Sinnoh region has disappeared; gone. Nothing but ash and burnt ground. The humans reported seeing meteors and comets bombarding the place. The only attack I know of…is Draco Meteor. For my last point, Giratina is not with you. What happened back there?"

"I-I really don't know." Stammered Dialga. "I wasn't there. He told us to run. Me and Palkia flew."

"What exactly did you see in the Reverse World?" Asked Arceus to Teacher.

"A portion was destroyed. The other world is in chaos. Many people are debating what caused the meteors and comets to run into that particular area. That is what baffles them; normally, they would go all over the place, but they were concentrated on that one section. It was too precise to be natural. In fact, many humans are praying and repenting for their sins, because they think that the same may happen to them."

"Did you inspect closely?"

"Yes. When I went near the disruption, I heard an almost inaudible sigh. The voice sounded like Giratina. The corresponding place in the other world had the bodies of many pokémon. There were many casualties. Giratina's blood was spattered on the ground."

"Did you find anything besides that."

"This." He held up a shard of dark glass. A remainder of Giratina's fury.

"What is that?" Asked Arceus. Everyone leaned closer to get a better look.

"It's just a piece of glass!" Complained Palkia.

"Not just any glass. It happens to burn through any substance. Any wounds caused by it is either slow to heal or fatal to the victim."

"Why is this of importance?" Asked Arceus.

"Because Giratina invented this particular attack himself."

Everyone went silent.

Dialga started to cry. Palkia tried to comfort her but to no avail. Sadness welled up in the eyes of Arceus' child.

"I shouldn't have left him alone." Sobbed Dialga.

"Peace child. It was not your fault. Choices cannot be reversed." Comforted Arceus.

"I miss him too." Said her daughter as she nuzzled Dialga.

* * *

_4 Months Ago (Giratina's View)_

Giratina's eyes opened slowly. He was lying on his side. He got up and looked around.

Someone had made a pillow of leaves for him.

He checked himself for injuries. He had two broken legs and a long wound down the side of his right front leg.

**"About time you woke up. You've been asleep for a week!"** Said a deep voice.

Giratina looked at the source. It was a Torterra.

**"Not many creatures survive a fall like that. You were unconscious when Yaz and I found you. What is your name?"**

"Giratina." He said, extending a wing in greeting.

**"Lyco"** The Torterra replied, shaking Giratina's wing with one of his massive feet.

"How did I get here?"

**"I believed you summoned a few meteors to kill something. Then you blacked out and plummeted towards the forest. If it weren't for me, you would've had a broken neck as well. That's not something you recover from."**

"Thank you."

**"How were you able to summon meteors? That is a power I have never seen before."**

"I am a dragon." He said simply.

**"Why are you here?"**

"My journey went wrong. Fate decided that before I left. Now I'm separated from my friends, my mentor, and my home."

**"Ah."**

"I must leave now. It will be a long journey home. I must have my revenge as well."

**"How can you travel in that condition?"**

"They will heal. Injuries are part of life. They cannot compare with the joy of being in the presence of your loved ones." He was thinking about her.

**"Your words have inspired me. Go now, Giratina. May Arceus be with you."**

"May Arceus be with us all."

Then he launched himself into the air. Lyco looked in awe.

**"Giratina…why does that name sound familiar? I shall ask Yaz when he gets back."** Then he lumbered off.

As Giratina flew through the air, he saw that many pokémon knew who he was. Most just stared from a distance. One curious Pidgey hovered near his shoulder.

"My mother has told me about you. It's an honour to meet you. My name's sky." He whistled.

Giratina ignored him.

"What is your name?"

"Giratina." He mumbled.

"So the Renegade One does have a name!"

"…Renegade?"

"Yes. They say the Renegade is a loner. He never comes in contact with anyone. But I think that's not true, seeing as you're here! What is your reason for coming to this forest?"

"I was injured."

"I can see that! Your legs bleeding."

"I'm aware of that, thank you."

"Everyone saw you summoning meteors to obliterate those pokémon chasing you. Why did you kill them?"

"They took my friend."

"Who is that?"

"Mesprit."

"You met Mesprit?"

"Yes."

"We only get to see her ever 5 years! And that's only if we're lucky! She can tell what your feeling from a mile away!"

"More like half the world."

"Is she really that sensitive?"

"Of course."

"Your so cool! All my friends agree!"

"Tell them I say hi."

"Where are you going?"

"Home."

"Why?"

"Because I love them."

"Love who?"

"My friends."

"Mother says love is the best medicine in the world! It can cure any disease, injury or hurt!"

"She is correct." Giratina reminisced about those games of tag, when he carried her back home, and when they watched the sun set with Palkia and Dialga.

"Mother wants me to come back now. I'll see you soon!"

"You too. Remember Sky, anything's possible with love. Anything." He grinned at Sky before he shifted to his Ghost form, disappearing in a cloud of ghost energy.

"…I'll never forget today…" Said Sky as he watched Giratina disappear.

When Giratina neared a lake, he felt drawn to it.

Giratina. A voice rang in his head.

_Who are you?_

I am Azelf. The being of willpower.

_Why are you speaking to me?_

Because I must.

_Has something happened?_

Yes. They took Mesprit and Uxie. Fortunately, your friends managed to obtain both of the orbs. They will be coming for me soon.

_What do they need the three of you for?_

I do not know. What I do know is that you possess the willpower to get home. The journey will be hard and full of difficulties.

_It does not matter. I will arrive home no matter what._

Because of her. Yes, I see the attraction. You two match up very well.

_Who?_

You know. I am here, Giratina, to tell you that the Griseous Orb, the one that you quested for, is not with me. I have hidden it in the mountains. Search there. It was because of the dangers keeping it with me represented. Getting to that location will be difficult. But I know you can get it. Now go. Leave this place. Do not come back.

The voice subsided. Giratina wondered about the orb.

_The Griseous Orb? I wonder what it will do to me. When I reach it, I shall make the strange humans repent for their actions._

He looked up at the darkening sky.

_But I must be patient for now._


	8. Chapter 8: When Friendship Calls

**Chapter 8: When Friendship Calls**

Giratina flew between the mountains, looking for any signs of the Griseous Orb.

He landed on the tip of one. No orb.

He landed on the base of another. No orb.

He spent the morning checking the side of a third. No orb.

Giratina growled in frustration and annoyance.

_I have hidden it in the mountains. Search there. It was because of the dangers keeping it with me represented. Getting to that location will be difficult. But I know you can get it. Now go. Leave this place. Do not come back._

Giratina remembered what Azelf told him.

A difficult place to reach in the mountains…

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard an explosion coming from further back. The shock waves traveled for miles. The mountains themselves shook.

He knew where it had come from. But he wished he didn't know the why.

They had come for Azelf. They were going to complete the trio. They had dried up the lake with a bomb. Giratina shook with sadness and anger, but forced himself to carry on with his business.

Then he saw the spot. One of the mountains was so vast and high that the top quarter section of it was above the clouds. It would be cold. Too cold even for a Glaceon.

_Icicles galore. Hooray. First I'm separated from Palkia and Dialga, humans have captured Mesprit and Azelf; they probably already got to Uxie. Now I have to search for the Griseous Orb, which is way above the clouds. I'm going to be freezing, tired and devoid of nourishment. Today is going to be a great day._

To save him some strength, he ran down the side of a parallel mountain, and when he was at a suitable velocity (something at like 375 miles per hour), he launched himself at the peak and flew.

He gained altitude quickly. The higher he got, the colder it got. Breathing wasn't a privilege he could afford right now either. Frost covered his body and wings. Luckily, his wings couldn't feel anything and were invincible to any kind of physical injury.

The rest of his body wasn't so fortunate.

His wounded leg hurt horribly, his broken ones were numb, and most of the rest were suffering frostbite to some degree. His ribs hurt. He could barely move his head without excruciating pain setting in.

He decided to land for today. As he landed on the snow with a soft _thump_, he spied a cavern that would be suitable for shelter.

He huddled inside, and he didn't even realize he was trembling. He covered himself with his wings to preserve some heat.

"Do you need some help?" Called out a voice from deeper within the cave.

Giratina did not respond.

The figure stepped forward. It was a light blue bird. "I am Articuno." He introduced himself with a bow.

Giratina still didn't speak.

"I know you are cold. I can help you. There is a hot spring further in. Come" He held out a wing.

Giratina slowly extended a wing to hold on to his. Articuno lead him to a large pool of water that had steam rising off of it.

"Just soak yourself in it until you feel better. There's some food in those patch of crystals."

Giratina raised his equivalent of an eyebrow. He stepped into the hot water, and almost sighed with relief as warmth spread along his body.

Articuno saw his incredulous look and laughed. "It gets so cold in these high up places that you can use almost anything as a freezer. Those crystals are the most convenient for storing materials."

"Thank you, but my appetite has long gone."

"I cannot blame you. Most cannot eat when one is in danger." He stated as he flapped to a desk and started writing.

"What are you writing about?" Asked Giratina curiously as he got out of the spring. He was feeling better now.

"My journal. I like to record my thoughts and experiences. Like when I met you. I forgot to ask: what is your name?"

"Giratina."

Articuno practically fell off his chair. "**THE** Giratina? The one who disappeared? The ruler of the Reverse World? The one who destroyed a section of Sinnoh?"

"You didn't have to put it that way."

"I'm sorry. It's just that it's so unexpected, seeing you here. Usually it's only Regice, the occasional Glaceon, and me. What are you doing here?"

"I am searching for the Griseous Orb. Azelf hinted that it might be here."

"Azelf. What has happened to him? All of Sinnoh shook today."

"Some humans dried up Lake Valor with a bomb. They captured Azelf. Along with Uxie and Mesprit."

"No…" Said Articuno in shock.

"Have you been informed about this?"

"Arceus prophesized this. It centers around controlling both Palkia and Dialga."

"I shall try to stop it."

"You can't take on both of them alone. You will perish."

"Perish I might, but as long as it helps shape a better world, I will do anything I can."

Articuno looked thoughtful. "I shall come with you. Perhaps Regice can help too."

"Thank you. Now, I would like to see Regice. I believe he is holding the Griseous Orb."

"Very well. He will challenge you, but try not to injure each other needlessly. We **are** going to attempt to rescue the Lake Guardians, after all."

Giratina and Articuno flew towards the very top of the mountain. The winds seemed to be with them, as it was pushing them towards the tip. They landed.

"We are here." Articuno said to Giratina. "Call out his name."

"Regice!" He yelled.

After a few moments, something lumbered forward.

"HELLO. I AM REGICE. WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS HERE?"

"To find a way to rescue the Lake Guardians."

"WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"

"Giratina."

"AZELF TOLD ME YOU WOULD COME. HE GAVE THE ORB TO ME SO IT WOULD NOT BE STOLEN. I WILL GIVE YOU THE ORB, BUT YOU MUST DEFEAT ME."

"I am ready."

"WE SHALL SEE."

They walked to opposite sides of the platform. They faced each other.

Regice tried to stomp Giratina, but he was too quick. He weaved under the golem and attacked with Shadow Claw from behind.

As Regice staggered from the surprise attack, Giratina used Heal Block and slashed him with Dragon Claw. Even though the attack was ferocious, he had not scratched Regice's body.

Regice suddenly lashed out with Hammer Arm, catching Giratina on the side. It threw him across the platform and knocked the breath out of him. Luckily, though, it did not break any ribs.

"ANCIENT POWER!"

"Ancient Power!"

The two blasts of prehistoric energy collided, and then disappeared in a huge flash of light. Neither of them was harmed.

Giratina jumped at him, trying to knock him down. They engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Regice spun around trying to smash Giratina with his arm but was blocked by his wing. Neither could outmatch the other.

They both charged beams.

"ICE BEAM!"

"Aura Sphere!"

Giratina was using double Aura Sphere again.

Regice launched his attack, while Giratina hurled both spheres.

The platform as covered in a cloud of smoke. Articuno could barely see through it. He wondered who would emerge victorious.

When the smoke cleared, Regice was on the ground. Giratina walked towards him.

"It was a good match."

"IT'S NOT OVER YET."

Regice exploded.

Time seemed to slow down for Giratina. He saw the shock wave heading towards him. Something suddenly clicked in his head. He remembered what Teacher told him.

Unpredictability and surprise are your greatest weapons; but be prepared for every outcome. You do not want to be felled by your own moves.

"**SHADOW FORCE!"** He roared. He disappeared. Articuno strained his eyes to see where Giratina went. He was gone.

Regice struggled to get up. "WHERE DID HE GO?" He wondered.

"Behind you." Answered Giratina right before striking him on the head. Unconsciousness was instant.

"Nice move." Commented Articuno.

"Thank you."

After Regice regained consciousness, he gave the Griseous Orb to Giratina. Giratina looked at it curiously. It was a small yellow crystal. It floated in the air. He wondered what power resided in it. He extended a wing to touch it.

He suddenly felt dizzy. The Orb rose into the air. A tendril of energy extended from it and reached for Giratina. It touched his wing. A flash covered both him and the orb.

Giratina could feel his body changing.

When it had finished, Giratina was now in the form he used when whenever he was at home. He now had six wings. A plate covered his mouth. His legs became spikes. He felt more powerful. He felt to finally be able to go on the offensive, to bring back what the humans had taken.

Articuno and Regice looked at him with a mixture of amazement and awe. He looked at them.

"Let's go."

As they left the mountain range, Giratina focused his mind on one thing:

_I am ready._


	9. Chapter 9: When Fate Strikes Back

**Chapter 9: When Fate Strikes Back**

Giratina, Articuno and Regice surveyed what remained of Lake Valor. Some sections of land were gone. All of the water disappeared. Numerous Magikarp flopped around, searching for water. Many trees had their leaves singed off.

"THIS IS INTOLERABLE!" Boomed Regice.

"Indeed it is." Replied Articuno. He turned to Giratina. "What happened here?"

"I'm not sure. Something exploded and dried all the water. I'd say it was a Giga Impact. It might also have been a Hyper Beam, but it's hard to tell."

"WE MUST RESCUE THEM!"

"That shall come in time. First we must check all the locations that these…_strange_ humans attacked."

"Let's go to Lake Acuity and check." Said Giratina.

"Ok."

As they flew towards Uxie's home, they discussed about why anyone would want to take them.

"THEY BETTER NOT BE POKEMON HUNTERS. NO ONE CAN REPENT FOR SUCH AN ACT. TAKING THE KEEPER'S OF THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD FOR SUCH A PETTY REASON SHOULD BE PUNISHED."

"These kidnappings have a far deeper meaning, Regice. Arceus told me herself."

"AND WHAT DID SHE TELL YOU?"

"That the powers of the three Lake guardians would be used to unleash the rulers of both Time and Space. She said they would be controlled against their will. I believe that is what is going to happen."

"But who would attempt to do that?" Inquired Giratina.

"I do not know. But you said that the kidnappers of Mesprit wore black and white uniforms with a yellow symbol on the chest?"

"Yes."

They were nearing the lake. They landed on the entrance to the cavern. Everything appeared to be undamaged.

Articuno looked inside, and came out. "Nothing." He said as he shook his head.

They then started toward Verity Cavern. Where Giratina last saw Mesprit. Anger rose in him.

As they flew by Alamos Town, Articuno noticed a disturbance in it. Namely the fact there was a large crater in the center of it and the rip in the time-space continuum. It was visible even from 3 kilometres away. A dark pit in the sky, that sucked in light. Giratina couldn't see through it. He noted the presence of cosmic energies.

_Only Palkia and Dialga could have caused this. What was their intent? Were they bickering? Were they out for blood? I shall find out later…_

They flew over the town, ignoring the stares and voices of the people down below.

"Is-is that Articuno?" Asked a voice in disbelief.

"Look! Regice is there too!"

"I can't believe it! What are they doing here? Is it because of what Palkia and Dialga did?"

Upon hearing their names, Giratina flew towards the man who said that. "I'm going to speak to that man. Find out what happened here." He told Articuno and Regice.

"…Ohmygosh. Is that…Giratina?" Someone asked fearfully.

"Giratina?" Another shouted.

"What?"

"He's going to kill us all with meteors!"

"Run!" Someone screamed when they saw that Giratina was flying right at them.

_So they know. They know I destroyed that part of Sinnoh. Someone must have seen me. Still, Draco Meteor's pretty hard to ignore, in my opinion. It was bound to happen._

Giratina wondered if it was wise for Teacher to teach him such a dangerous attack.

Giratina landed right in the front the man who mentioned Palkia and Dialga.

He looked petrified. "Don't kill me!" He burst into tears. "I have a wife and daughter!"

"What is this about Palkia and Dialga?" Asked Giratina in English.

The man was shocked at the fact that Giratina could speak English. All legendaries could speak English. Even Heatran. It surprised Giratina how ignorant humans were.

"P-Palkia and Dialga?" He said in a small voice.

"You heard me."

"T-They appeared here a few weeks ago. They started fighting for some unknown reason. Probably because of their hatred of each other."

_Hatred? When I was with them last, I'd say they were quite fond of each other. Palkia never argued with her. She might have been blaming him for my disappearance though…_

"…our town was saved when Darkrai interfered. He sacrificed himself to stop them."

Darkrai. Who is he? A fellow legendary? Perhaps he can help me.

"Where is Darkrai?" He asked the man.

"D-Darkrai? I told you, Darkrai sacrificed himself to save our town."

"I do not believe that. I can sense his presence here. What is Darkrai's job?"

"He causes nightmares to anyone within close proximity. His counterpart is Cresselia, the giver of good dreams."

"Thank you for your information. Accept this as a token of my gratitude." Said Giratina. He summoned a pouch of seeds in one of his wings. They were from the flowers that grew at Turnback Cave. They were beautiful, but surprisingly they only grew at one of the loneliest places on Earth. He held it out to the man, who took it with trembling hands.

"T-Thank you." He managed to say. Everybody gaped at the pouch in his hands in awe.

Giratina launched himself into the air to join Articuno and Regice.

"What is in it?"

"Be careful!"

"It's a pack of seeds!"

"I've never seen those before!"

"Given to us by Giratina himself! I wonder what these will sprout into?"

"Dispose of them! Giratina brings death to this world! These flowers may spell our doom!"

Giratina was shocked to hear a comment like that. He looked at Articuno questioningly. "You are portrayed as a monster in their eyes. Their views of this world have been warped. Just because you are the keeper of the afterlife does not mean that you are evil. In fact, I believe you are the exact opposite. You appear to be very decent, and lack the bloodlust that everyone believes you possess." He answered with a warm look.

Giratina thought about what Articuno said.

"Since when was I portrayed as the keeper of the afterlife?" He asked.

"You do not know? Giratina's job is to guard the afterlife and let deceased soul's enter!"

_Everyone must be thinking of Teacher...he mentioned that he was keeping the reverse world stable until I was ready. Is this what he meant?_

Giratina decided to leave that thought for later.

"Should we search for Darkrai?" Asked Giratina.

"HOW? FROM THE SCANT INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE, HE'S DEAD. EVEN IF HE'S NOT, WE CAN'T FIND HIM IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE FOUND." Boomed Regice.

"We should still search for traces of his existence." Insisted Articuno.

"You do not need to search for me, for I have chosen to show myself." Said a cold voice.

"Who's there?" Said Articuno, looking around wildly.

"It is I, Darkrai. Prepare to fall." It said as a blast of dark energy blew the three of them out of the sky.

Giratina landed in a garden. He tried to slow his fall, but still ended up making a very large crater. He got up slowly and looked up.

There he was.

Darkrai.

"Why have you come here, keeper of the dead?" Said Darkrai.

"We have come to seek your help."

"You shall receive no help from me, for I do not help anyone."

"Please!"

"Hmm. Perhaps an arrangement can be made. All three of you shall battle me. You will receive my help if the three of you manage to best me in battle."

"The conditions?"

"Only one: I must be allowed to use my powers to their fullest extent."

"We accept." Stated Articuno from the other side of the town.

"AGREED."

"Very well, the battle shall commence now." Said Darkrai as he charged up a ball of energy in his hands.

Giratina, Articuno and Regice all got up and flew at him, attempting to go for a quick knock out.

"Not fast enough." Chuckled the Dream pokémon. He twirled around several times and hurled the ball at Regice. It smashed into the golem's face. Regice started plummeting to the ground below.

_He can incapacitate a legendary in a single blast. That seems exceedingly dangerous. I must avoid his attacks whenever possible. I'm of no use to anyone unconscious._

Darkrai charged another sphere and threw it. Giratina attempted to dodge it, but it flew much faster than he anticipated. As a last-ditch effort, he conjured up an Aura Sphere and slammed it into the ball. They both disappeared in a flash.

"A quick thinker…" Commented Darkrai.

He powered up a Dark Void above his head, and had it shoot smaller balls at Articuno.

Articuno dodged most of the balls, but staggered when one struck his wing. Three more struck him due to his momentary confusion. A crimson bubble appeared around him and made him lapse into a deep sleep.

"Ah, it's just you and me, reverso boy." He commented with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Dark Pulse!" He yelled.

When the aura came in contact with Giratina, thoughts filled his head. Horrible thoughts.

_My journey is pointless…the Lake Guardians are doomed…I am evil…I cannot win this battle…everyone at home is glad that I'm gone…I'll never know what love is…_

That thought hurt him the most.

_Arceus' daughter never cared for me. It was all an illusion._

He fought against the ghastly thoughts with all of his willpower. Despair gripped him. He almost felt like crying. Then a memory shone through the turmoil.

_Giratina carried her on his back as he walked home. She was asleep. Their game of tag was very intense and tiring. She nuzzled him warmly. He smiled. He felt this new feeling welling up inside of him. He was already fond of her._

_No. It's not true. She cared for me. I will hold on to that memory. I will never let it go. I'm not losing it to some hollowed-out puppet._

He broke out of it. His eyes blazed with a new passion. Darkrai widened his eyes in surprise. Had he just provoked this dragon?

"Never. Do that. Again. Ever." Said Giratina. His voice was quiet, but it shook with rage.

Darkrai was afraid now. He was actually scared. He launched a held up a Dark Void. He made it fire at Giratina, only to be stopped by shards of glass.

_Glass?_

The voice rang in Darkrai's head. He didn't know the extent of Giratina's powers.

Giratina charged up an Aura Sphere in each wing. He was beginning to like using that. It shocked your opponents, while powerful enough to stand up to Spacial Rend and blow out several buildings. He found that out when Palkia attempted to knock him out. It took at least two to cancel it out.

He looked at himself as he held up the glowing balls of energy. Six Aura Spheres. He wondered how he was capable of all that. But now wasn't the time to ponder.

"Taste the Aura, you miserable puppet."

Then Giratina flew at him with lightning speed and threw them at Darkrai with all his might. That was the last thing Darkrai saw before he was knocked out. Knocked out 6 times, to be exact.

_That must have hurt._

He caught Darkrai and lowered him to the ground. Regice and Articuno met him.

"Thank Arceus your ok!" Said Articuno with obvious relief. Regice stayed silent.

"What happened to Regice?" Asked Giratina.

"Darkrai gave him a horrendous nightmare. He doesn't want to talk right now."

Giratina realized how lucky he was not to get by Darkrai's attack.

"You'll be alright." Said Giratina comfortingly as he patted the ice golem's shoulder.

When Darkrai awoke, he gave Giratina and company a friendly a handshake.

"You fought well. My arrogance has made me weaker."

"You were a formidable enemy."

"As were you."

"Will you help us now?"

"Gladly. I can tell you are strong. If I can help, I will."

"Can you tell me about what happened between Dialga and Palkia?"

"Yes. It was not a pleasant situation. They nearly destroyed the world. Arceus is probably punishing them right now. I will tell you later, but we should leave right now."

"Ok."

And they flew.

_One more ally. One more adventure. I wonder what comes next._

_If there is a 'next'._

_I may have come too late._


	10. Chapter 10: When Friends Embrace

**Chapter 10: When Friends Embrace**

Giratina, Articuno, Regice and Darkrai sat around a table. They were in the library of Veilstone City. They were all in human form to stay inconspicuous. They came here when Darkrai told them about Team Galactic. Articuno also wanted some tea

"Their center of operations is to at the northern end of Veilstone; I believe this is where they are keeping the Lake Guardians." He said when Giratina described to him the events that happened before they fought.

"What is the goal of this 'Team Galactic'?" Asked Articuno as he was sipping his drink.

"I do not know too much about them, but from what I've heard, their goal is to create a new world; one that has no violence or conflict."

"How do they intend to reach that goal?" Asked Giratina.

"They want to take control of Palkia and Dialga and reshape our universe." Answered Articuno grimly.

"Dialga and Palkia are much too strong for them to handle." Said Giratina defensively.

"They are using a method that somehow involves the Lake Guardians. I can detect strong psychic energies radiating from the building. Faint, but still detectable. They have attempted to hide their crime." Put in Darkrai.

"We should have a plan before we storm their base." Said Articuno.

"Agreed." Said Giratina.

Darkrai pondered for several moments.

"Okay, here's the plan: Regice and Articuno bash in through the front door while Giratina sneaks in and does what he came to do. I'll patrol the perimeter of the building to look for anything suspicious. But be careful. If they've found a way to enslave the guardians of Time and Space themselves, then all of us are subject to it. Stay alert." He finally said.

"Sounds good to me. I haven't had a good fight in years." Said Articuno cheerfully.

_30 minutes later_

"Good luck guys!" Called Darkrai.

"Just make sure we don't get killed or there's literally going to be hell to pay!" Answered Giratina.

Giratina gave Articuno and Regice a look. They were both stationed on opposite sides of the entrance.

"3…2…" Whispered Articuno.

"Thank you for helping me, guys." Remarked Giratina.

"…1."

"Ice Beam!" Yelled out Articuno, freezing the door.

"HAMMER ARM!" Roared Regice.

The doors shattered into a thousand pieces. Which wasn't surprising, considering Regice's strength.

"Go!" Called out Articuno.

Giratina switched to ghost form. He sneaked past the grunts running towards the entrance. He could hear screams from behind. And explosions.

_I do not envy them._

The stairway was too small to fit him, so he just flew upwards toward the next level, leaving a hole in the ceiling. Besides, stairs were too cramped for his liking.

"What's happening?" Said a voice incredulously from below.

"Something blew a hole in the roof!"

"They've infiltrated the building!"

"Quick! Alert every member! Tell them to bring out their pokémon and help! We're getting torn up at the entrance!"

He smashed through the third floor. He noticed that he was not alone.

There were four grunts guarding that floor. They were about to attack him when a blast of dark energy hit all four of them. They collapsed. Knowing Darkrai was watching his back comforted him.

_This is what I've come to do._

He tore ceiling apart, leaving a gaping hole. He rammed through several rooms. Then he saw them.

_Arceus, what have they done to them?_

Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf were in a chamber. A bright blue light came from the chamber. Energies of the same colour were being sucked away from the chamber.

_Those wretched humans are taking their Aura to keep them Lake Guardians in stasis. _

Without hesitation, he charged an Aura Sphere and launched at the tank. The room was lit by a flash, and then returned to normal.

All three of them floated before him. They slowly opened their eyes, except for Uxie. They all faced him curiously.

"Thank you." They whispered in unison.

"I'm just glad your safe."

"Giratina, you must stop him from reaching Spear Pillar!" Said Mesprit urgently

"Why is he going there?"

"To enslave Palkia and Dialga." She answered

"How is he going to accomplish that?"

"The Red Chain." Stated Uxie.

"What is that?"

"Now, is not the time, to ask; if you care for your friends, go!" Azelf shouted.

Without another word, he dashed off. "Follow me!" He yelled at Articuno and Regice. Darkrai followed closely.

He arrived at the base of Mt. Coronet to find the man and his grunts climbing the mountain. They were having a fair amount of trouble. Around the man's shoulder was a blood red chain that appeared to be made out of gems. Giratina figured that there would be a copy of it hidden somewhere; he couldn't possibly control both Palkia and Dialga with just one.

He knew he had to destroy it to prevent a catastrophe.

_You shall pay, miserable human. Do not dare tamper with the rules of life again._

He roared, switched to his ghost form, and flew.

All the Team Galactic members turned to look for the source of the sound, but all they saw was a group of pokémon flying towards them. Not to worry, they thought. "Probably just a group of migrating pokémon." Said one of them.

Then they realized what was heading for them.

These were no ordinary pokémon. They were legendaries. Specifically Articuno, Regice and Darkrai.

"What are they doing here?" Screamed someone.

"They know what we're trying to do!" Another said hopelessly.

"Take out your flying pokémon and try to slow them down! I'll go ahead!" Commanded the leader.

Darkrai and Regice hurled blasts of energy at anything that moved. The leader summoned a Charizard and rode on it as it flew upwards.

Many pokémon were knocked unconscious before they could fight. The rest unsuccessfully tried to hit the flying legendaries. Behind Darkrai and Regice, Articuno was summoning Hail. In a few moments, the entire mountainside was affected by a raging hailstorm. Darkrai had to shield himself to avoid getting injured by it.

Articuno then charged up a Blizzard. Soon, a howling blizzard was attacking every pokémon in its vicinity. That, coupled with the Hail, totaled most of the pokémon. The ones left were battered and tired. Darkrai prepared to use Dark Void with a smile.

He was going to enjoy giving them nightmares.

Giratina chased the Charizard. It was difficult, as his size prevented him from entering small areas. Mount Coronet had plenty to offer. His ghost form could pass through walls and objects, but the experience was extremely uncomfortable and confusing. He would rather not risk his life for the sake of going through walls.

The Charizard veered around the mountain. Giratina followed suit. Giratina was still in ghost form, so there was no way the man could see him, even with a vision aid.

They gained altitude. It got cold enough that frost appeared on Giratina's wings. They flew into the clouds. It blurred Giratina's vision; clouds were much denser than he thought. He couldn't see the where the Charizard was. He narrowed his eyes in frustration, but then one of Teacher's lessons came back to him.

_Every living being, whether it's an Oran Tree or a god like Arceus herself, has a unique Aura. It surrounds them. It keeps them alive. Giratina, if you ever have to find anyone you can't see, find them through their Aura. No pokémon can disguise his or her Aura. The only possible way is to take someone else's Aura, which is fatal for the user. Taking someone's Aura without consent is considered a crime against the laws of nature. Doing so will grant the person eternal pain, even after death. Guilt will consume the user. When you take someone's Aura, you cannot control the amount; it always drains the victim completely, which is death. You can only control the amount if the user decides to give his or her Aura to you. As I said, you can see things through their Aura. You must stop looking at things like you normally do. Sense them. Know you can find them. And when you do, nothing can blind you. Nothing. Aura is eternal. As long as Aura exists, so will your vision._

Giratina chewed on the words thoughtfully. You must stop looking at things like you normally do. Giratina still wondered what Teacher's cryptic statement meant.

He broke through the clouds, only to find that the Charizard was still below him. He had long since reverted from Ghost Form. Suddenly, a flash erupted from the clouds below, severely blinding Giratina and filling his head with sounds. Giratina lost control for a moment and plummeted.

He could not see how fast he was falling, but he could feel it. Fast enough to make a two-kilometre hole. He desperately tried to float and succeeded in stopping his fall. He felt blind. Tears welled up in his eyes as he realized he would not be able to stop the man in his current state.

_Sense them._

Teacher's words rang in his head. He looked up. He searched for the Charizard's Aura. He found the man's Aura. Suddenly, he could see a whole new world. Strange blue lights. Even purple. Many of these formed the shapes of various pokémon down below. Some simply floated around. He was surprised to find a huge a source of Aura above him. It was above both the mountain and Spear Pillar. His attention turned back to the man.

_I've found you._

He locked onto both the man and his Charizard, in case they decided to split up to confuse him. The man landed on the peak. In his hands were two blood red chains. They were glowing slightly in Giratina's vision. He let loose a Dragon Pulse that landed right in front of the man. He turned and saw Giratina. He screamed. Giratina wasn't surprised.

Most people reacted like that when they saw a giant snake creature flying at you. And most people knew snakes couldn't fly.

"Charizard! Fire Blitz!" The Charizard covered itself in fire and charged towards Giratina. Giratina dodged the attack with Shadow Force. He appeared behind the Charizard and slashed at it with Dragon Claw.

The Charizard roared with rage and turned to swipe at Giratina, only to be met with an Aura Sphere to the face. It collapsed.

"Giratina, the keeper of the afterlife. I could not have expected less. I never knew you would come after me. But since you are here, we should make the best of it!" The man said.

He let out a Metagross and a Magnezone. They both let out blasts of energy at Giratina. He dodged them easily. Suddenly, several pokémon attack him from behind. The other members had arrived.

For several moments, Giratina covered in a mass of pokémon, all biting and attacking him. He was about to be overwhelmed when an achingly familiar voice called out.

"Hyper Beam!"

The beam blasted away some of the pokémon. It gave Giratina just enough space to get out of the mass of pokémon.

He fired a ball of energy and shattered it into glass. It took down another bunch of pokémon. Out of the corner of his eye Giratina saw one of the shards fly into one of the chains. It cracked. He used Shadow Force to rip it in half. The man looked at the remains of it in disbelief. His face was a contorted mask of rage.

Suddenly something bound Giratina. His body seemed to stop listening to him. He fell to the ground with a thud, unable to do anything. What he saw next made him feel an emotion he normally never had: fear.

The man was going to use the Red Chain on him.

"If I can't have Palkia or Dialga, I guess you'll do. You'll find life as my servant very satisfying." He gave an evil grin and tossed the chain at Giratina. Giratina could not do anything; he was still bound.

Giratina closed his eyes and waited for his mind to be suppressed. Somewhere, another familiar voice roared in rage.

"ROAR OF TIME!"

A blast of energy exploded right in front of Giratina, destroying the chain and sending both the man and Giratina flying. The man fell right off the mountain screaming. Giratina flew through the air, spinning in random directions. Giratina felt the ropes bounding him disappear.

He fell back to the ground but kept rolling. He tried desperately to grab onto a rock or ledge with his wings, but unfortunately could not get slow his tumble. He was actually glad he couldn't see how high he was; it would be a painful drop.

"NO!" The voice roared. "I CAN'T LET HIM DIE!" Another voice murmured in agreement.

Giratina could sense pain and grief in the being's voice.

_Regice? Articuno? Darkrai? No, it can't be them. I could sense their Aura way below. Who are they? What is their intent? I can't believe anyone would go out of their way like that to save me._

A rush of air blew into his face. He felt one of his wings touching the leg of someone. The fur on it felt soft. He grabbed onto it.

His savior grunted at the weight but did not drop him. He felt himself slowly being pulled up. When he felt himself lying on solid ground again, he let go of his rescuer's leg. He smelled something sweet. He felt something warm pressing against his head.

"Is he okay?" The voice asked.

"I'm not sure." Said Giratina's rescuer. Giratina was sure the voice was feminine.

"Giri, it's me! Dialga!" The voice said nervously.

"…Dialga?"

"Don't you remember me?"

"Y-yes. I missed you."

"Me too. I felt crushed when I learned of your disappearance. I thought you were dead."

She ran up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged her back. After a few seconds she stopped the embrace. She stepped back and looked at him.

"You don't look very well."

"I got hit by a Roar of Time and almost fell off a mountain. Of course I don't look well."

She laughed. "Of course. You've become much bigger though. Your about 3 feet taller than me." She then noticed that his eyes were still closed. "Can you see?"

"A flash blinded me."

"Your eyesight will come back in time. Try opening them just a little."

Giratina tried to see. He found himself looking into a pair of warm green eyes. She blinked.

"A-Arceus?"

She shook her head. All of Giratina's memories of playing with Arceus' daughter came back to him.

"Thank you for saving me."

She leaned forward, so close that their heads were touching.

"Your welcome. Its good to have you back." She whispered softly so that Dialga couldn't hear. She then turned around and walked away gracefully.

A deep red blush came to Giratina's cheeks. He stared absentmindedly.

_She seems to have grown up while we have been apart._

A nudge in his side brought him back to reality. "We should go back to the Hall of Origin. Everyone's been wondering about what happened to you." Said Dialga.

A flight of stairs had appeared on Spear Pillar. They appeared to lead into the sky.

Dialga gently lead Giratina towards the stairs. He thought as they walked.

_I've missed this place. I wonder what comes next. I've had enough adventure for one year._

_It's good to be with my friends again._

_

* * *

_

Authors Note: The man who tried to use the Red Chain was **NOT** Cyrus. He is someone else. The story is currently a while before the anime/manga. About one and a half thousand years. Ever notice that there's no mention of modern things (eg. cell phones, cameras, cars, etc)?

I am sorry for any confusion that I may have caused you. Keep reading!

_GL HF GG,_

_~Vingle_


	11. Chapter 11: The Pain of Seperation

**Chapter 11:** **The Pain of Separation**

"Where did you find him?" Asked Arceus as Dialga walked into the Hall of Origin with the aforementioned dragon.

"Spear Pillar; he was getting mashed by pokémon." Dialga answered with a grin.

Giratina collapsed on to the white marble floor. Dialga looked at him with concern.

"He has fallen asleep. Do not worry about his condition; wounds heal." Arceus stated.

"I hope so."

Articuno and Regice carried Giratina to another room. Darkrai stayed away so he wouldn't give Giratina bad dreams, but Dialga was pretty sure Giratina was invulnerable towards Darkrai's ability. They had come back a few minutes after Dialga came up with Giratina; battling all those Galactic members had been harder than they thought.

"What is your business here?" Said Arceus towards Darkrai.

"I agreed to help Giratina and the two Ice legendaries storm the Galactic building to save the Lake Guardians. We freed them but they told us about Team Galactic's plans to control Palkia and Dialga. He flew off while the three of us fought the henchman."

"They were planning to take control of Dialga and Palkia?"

"I'm not sure how. Dialga or Giratina might know something about it."

"Thank you. You may leave now."

Darkrai left the Hall of Origin, feeling pretty good about himself. "Giratina seems to be a good guy. Powerful, too. Maybe he could teach me a thing or two later."

"Sleep well, Giratina." Said Articuno as he left. Regice lumbered after him, leaving only Dialga and Arceus' child.

"When he wakes up, we can play tag. Just like we used to as little pokémon." Said Dialga hopefully.

"It was always a little unfair because he could use his ghost form to sneak up on us." Answered the daughter.

"Still, it was fun. Especially when we started flying."

"I agree."

"I'm going to go to Shaymin's garden. Would you like to come?" Asked Dialga.

"No thank you. I'll stay and watch over Giratina." The daughter looked at Giratina's sleeping form. "I would like the chance to speak to him privately."

"After I question him." Said the commanding voice of Arceus. "I find it suspicious that Giratina would come back in these circumstances."

"Fine, mother."

"Bye!" Called Dialga as she flew out of the Hall of Origin. Shaymin had planted her garden near Turnback Cave, which was also one of the few links to the Reverse World.

Shaymin liked the rare flowers that grew near it. It was ironic, that such beautiful things would grow in such desolate places. Arceus certainly had a taste for that kind of thing.

She flew over Lake Valor. Some of the water came back but the holes cause by an unknown attack still remained. She then landed at Sendoff Spring.

Shaymin's garden was above the cave. It was a magnificent feat of planting and understanding of Botany. Shaymin was very proud and protective of it. People had to get special permission to enter, or else Shaymin kicked them out. Dialga was an exception, though. They had become friends during the period when Giratina went missing. She had taken Dialga to her garden so she could think.

Dialga walked into the hedges that made up the entrance to the garden. The vines separated to let her pass through. Dialga looked around. As always, there was a fountain in the middle of a pond in the center of the garden.

Shaymin was nowhere to be seen. Dialga looked around but to no avail. She turned to walk away when a voice called out.

"Hi Dialga!" Said a bush. Dialga stared at it curiously. Shaymin poked her head out of it.

"What are you doing there?" Asked a surprised Dialga.

"Searching these bushes for bugs; they like to nest in them. What have you come to do?"

"I just wanted to come here and think."

"Wonderful! You can sit under that Oran tree. It provides excellent shade!"

"Thank you, Shaymin."

"Anything for a friend! Just roar if you need anything! I have some Pecha Berry tea brewing!" She called as she leapt to another bunch of bushes farther away.

Dialga sat under the Oran tree. True to Shaymin's word, it was cool and comfortable under its shade.

_I wonder how Giratina came to Spear Pillar like that; battered, bruised, blind and almost dead. It made me realize how hard it was to lose a friend. Especially one you know right from your hatching. You would do anything to save them. When I saw the Red Chain being thrown towards him, I used Roar of Time to destroy it; but I almost knocked Giratina off the mountain with it. It makes me feel guilty. He wouldn't be here if Arceus' daughter hadn't saved him with Extreme Speed. She risked her life to save him. She almost fell off herself pulling him up. I wonder how much she cares for him. Certainly more than she lets on. She blushed when he thanked her. She whispered something to him that caused him to get red in the face. I think he cares more for her than anyone else…_

Dialga felt an uncharacteristic pang of Jealousy at that thought. She tried to rid herself of the emotion but was unsuccessful. She looked up at the darkening sky. It was beginning to rain. The Oran tree provided good shelter too; Dialga did not get the slightest bit wet.

_I'll have to thank Shaymin for directing me to this tree. I'm not exactly friends with that child of Arceus', but we're not rivals either. She's grown more distant. I wonder what happened to her. It takes me back to when we used to play tag…_

* * *

_1 year ago_

"Catch me if you can!" Yelled Arceus' daughter as she sped off.

"Your on, Arcy!" Giratina yelled back. Everyone had become to call her that because of the fact that she and her mother shared names; it was annoying if you had to say 'Arceus' daughter' ten thousand times. A little individuality was refreshing.

Giratina flew off after her. Dialga followed suit.

"Arceus, she's fast." Said Giratina. He then chuckled at his own words.

"Speed has always been one of her special traits." Pointed out Dialga.

"That is good, but she seems…hyperactive." Answered Giratina.

"Everyone is when their young." Said Dialga with a grin. She pointed at moving speck in the distance. "There she is!"

"Fly!"

Dialga flew. She turned her head around just long enough to see Giratina shift to Ghost form.

"This is something she won't anticipate." Said Giratina. He flew as well.

"I think this ought to keep them confused." Said Arcy. She hopped onto a tree branch.

She yelped as a pair of wings caught her from behind. She turned to see a pair of Crimson eyes appear out of thin air.

"Caught you." He said smugly. Giratina had sneaked up on her in his ghost form.

"Not fair! Your invisible!" She cried.

"I'm the slowest when I'm not flying. It evens things out." He replied.

"Can you let go of me now?" Asked Arcy.

"You seem to like being held." Answered Giratina with amusement in his voice. He tilted his head as he looked at her.

She turned away to hide the blush appearing on her face. Giratina let go.

"I think I'll go help out Shaymin with her garden." Said Arcy as she hopped out of the tree and ran.

"I'll come." Called out Giratina. He flew off after her.

Dialga giggled to herself as she watched from behind a nearby bush.

_Arcy tries to act all mature and stuff, but she loses her composure around him. She blushes when he comments on her. She's always eager to play with him. She talks to him the most. I think she has a crush on Giratina._

The best part was that she saw the whole thing. Now she could blackmail Arcy into doing whatever she wanted. Dialga smiled at that thought. She flew off to see what they would be doing at the garden.

* * *

_10 months ago_

Dialga was walking with Palkia and Giratina in Hearthome City. They were in their human forms so they could blend in with everyone else. They were looking for things to give to their friends for Valentines Day. It was their first time celebrating it.

"What are you guys getting?" Asked Palkia.

"It's a surprise." Answered Dialga. She grinned at both of them.

"I'm not sure…" Mumbled Giratina. Both Palkia and Dialga looked at him.

"I don't know what she likes." Explained Giratina.

"What do you mean by 'she', Giri?" Asked Dialga, attempting to wrest some answers out of him.

"No one."

"Aw, does Giratina have a thing for Arcy? She likes you too. You two make quite a cute couple!" Cooed Palkia.

"Shut up!" Yelled Giratina as he grabbed Palkia and threw him into a clump of trees.

"No regrets!" Shouted Palkia as he flew.

"He seems to like being thrown." Commented Dialga.

Giratina didn't answer. They walked into the heart of the city. The Foreign Building stood there as always. People were scattered around the area. Some were talking to each other, some were sightseeing, and others were simply standing around doing nothing.

"Hey, there's the shop!" Said Dialga excitedly. She pointed to a shop that was surrounded with flowers. A sweet smell wafted from it.

"What does it sell?" Asked Giratina curiously.

"It's a shop that sells stuff for your sweetheart all year round." Said Dialga.

"I'm not exactly comfortable going to a place like this…"

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. The owner knows me. I come here on a regular basis and sell jewelry that I craft from the diamonds found in my dimension."

They went through the door. It was not a very big shop, but bright and happy. A few Luvdisc were floating around. Jewelry was on display in glass cases. Something was brewing on the glass counter. Giratina leaned forward to see what it was."

"Ah, Diane! How nice to see you again!" Called an elderly woman as she walked to the front counter.

"Good day, Mrs. Amatum. I'm looking for something to give to my friend; he's a bit hasty sometimes, but an excellent person overall." Replied Dialga curtly.

"I can show you something fabulous, but first tell me who this striking young man is!" Exclaimed Mrs. Amatum as she looked over Giratina.

"He is my brother. His name is Gary. We have both come here to find gifts for Valentines Day." Dialga said with a smile.

"How nice to meet you, Gary! You two really do look like siblings, now that you've mentioned it. You said you were looking for something to give to your friend, yes, Diane?"

Dialga nodded.

"Then I think this would be perfect for him!" Said the elderly woman. She held up a jade ring; a Latin phrase was carved into it.

"It looks beautiful. How much is it?" Commented Dialga.

"Oh no, dear. This is free of charge. It is a pittance compared to what you have given me. Take it and show your loved one you care." Said Mrs. Amatum with a shake of her head.

"Thank you. Your generosity is appreciated." Said Dialga with a look of gratitude.

Mrs. Amatum turned to Giratina. "Gary, dear, perhaps you can tell me about anyone close to you?"

That question took Giratina by surprise. "Well, there's this girl. She's very energetic and feisty." He didn't want to say anything else. Dialga giggled.

"Ah yes, I think this suits her very well. Would you care to try it?" Stated Mrs. Amatum. She held an expensive-looking bottle of perfume in her hand.

"What is it?"

"I call it 'Amor primo conspectu'. Would you like to try it?"

"Please." Giratina wondered what it would smell like.

Mrs. Amatum dabbed a little bit on his wrist. Giratina sniffed at it. It was a very pleasant scent; with that smell of rain after a long dry spell with a touch of Jasmine and Gracidea.

Giratina smiled. "Perhaps I will take a bottle."

Mrs. Amatum handed the bottle to him. "That lucky girl will love it! I have something else to show you; you look like an intelligent boy. Let me go fetch it."

She disappeared into the room behind her. Giratina looked at Dialga.

"I'll ask Uxie to translate this for me later." She said while looking at the ring.

"I think she'll like this, Gary." Said Mrs. Amatum as she walked in holding a glass case that contained what looked like a flower made out of crystal inside it.

She held up the case proudly. "This is a flower taken from the ground near the Tree of Beginning. These are hard to find and remove. Since your Diane's brother, you can have this and the perfume for no charge!"

Giratina was surprised. "Er, thank you."

"Just promise me that you will love."

"I promise." Giratina was unnerved by that question. "I think we will go now."

"Goodbye! Hope you two can come back later!" She called.

Dialga and Giratina examined their gifts.

"She's very generous, don't you think?" Said Giratina.

"She's always been very nice. Valentines Day is going to be awesome." Dialga smiled at the thought.

"It's a year away."

"So? That means we don't have to run around in the mall to do last-minute shopping."

"I guess your right. Thanks for bringing me here."

"I'll always be around to help you. Just don't forget about your friends. You need them more than you think."

* * *

_8 months ago_

Dialga sat on the shore of Lake Verity, staring off into space. She felt a horrible guilt inside her.

_What if he's dead? Is it my fault? Should I have left him?_

Tears formed in her eyes at that thought. She tried to keep her composure but failed. She started sobbing. After a few minutes the tears subsided.

"Be strong, Dialga. Do not let his disappearance break you." A voice said.

Dialga turned her head to see Mesprit floating beside her. Tears rolled down her cheek. "That's easy for you to say. You don't understand what it's like to know that a friend might be dead because of you!" She yelled.

"Dialga, I understand your predicament very well. You feel guilty that you weren't around to help him; that you left him to fend for himself. I am the being of emotions, Dialga. You cannot hide them from me. I can tell all too well what you are feeling. You must endure."

"I DON'T NEED YOU TO LECTURE ME! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I DIDN'T ASK FOR GIRATINA TO DISAPPEAR! I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOU TO TALK TO ME! T-THIS 'ENDURE' YOU SPEAK OF; YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I DON'T NEED YOUR GODDAMN PITY!" Roared Dialga at the top of her lungs.

Mesprit backed away a few feet, flinching visibly. Dialga turned around and flew away. She didn't know where she was going. She just wanted to get away from Mesprit. Away from her pain. Away from the world.

Oh, Arceus. Why do things like this happen? Why do bad things always happen to good people? Why is life so unfair?

She felt herself land on grass. She saw that she was in a garden. She looked down to see that the garden was located above a cave. Turnback cave.

She wanted to turn away; so as to not to awaken more painful memories, but something about it caught her interest.

Some flowers were growing near the entrance to the cave. Their white petals were dropping, as if lamenting something. They were beautiful, yet sad in a way.

_It's as if they're crying over Giratina. I shall go pick one. Perhaps it can remind me of all the wonderful experiences I had with him._

She jumped to one of the flowers. With a gentle paw, she scooped it up and stared at it. It appeared to have perked up. It was bell-shaped with white petals. The inside was gold. She brought the flower close to her head and breathed in the scent. It was a fresh scent, gentle and loving. It soothed her. She closed her eyes for a moment.

_I shall make sure this flower lives on._

She flew back into the garden. She found a little spot near some bushes. She dug a hole in the ground with her steel claws and placed the flower in the pit. She then covered the roots with soil. She strode to the fountain and proceeded to fill a watering can crafted out of leaves that she found. She then watered the white flower with it.

"Hey Dialga!" Shouted a voice from above. Dialga looked up to see Palkia flying towards her. She gave him a cold look as he landed in front of her.

"What?" She asked in an irritated voice.

"I wanted to ask if you're feeling ok." He asked with a look of concern.

Dialga did not answer but turned away.

"Dialga? Can you answer me?"

She still didn't respond.

"I know that you're upset because Giratina is gone, but-"

"Upset? UPSET? HE MATTERED TO ME MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE! WHY DID WE HAVE TO LEAVE HIM? HE COULD BE GONE FOREVER BECAUSE OF WHAT WE DID! YOU HAD TO PULL ME AWAY! YOU DIDN'T LET ME HELP! NOW LOOK AT WHATS HAPPENED!"

"Dialga, what happened there was-"

"NOT OUR FAULT? I THINK IT'S YOUR FAULT! NOW HE-HE COULD-" Dialga couldn't continue. She broke down into a fit of sobs and broken words. She slumped to the ground and covered her face with her paws.

Palkia knelt down beside her. "Do you care for him that much?"

Her sobbing continued.

He drew her into a comforting hug, which she did not try to break. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"He'll be alright. I hope he comes back. Your not the only one who misses him." He said as he stroked her head with his hand.

I never knew he could be so sympathetic. It's like he's an entirely different person. He's right. I shouldn't blame him. It wasn't my fault.

"It isn't your fault." He murmured. He patted her back. "Do you feel better?"

Dialga nodded slowly. Her eyes were filled with gratitude. A smile crept to her face. Her first smile in days. He smiled back.

"Thank you." Whispered Dialga.

"Aw, how sweet! Latias, do you think something will grow out of that?" Said Shaymin to Latias, who was perched beside her. They were watching the two friends embrace.

"Absolutely!" Said the red dragon excitedly. "But lets pretend that we didn't see that; this makes for some nice blackmail!"

"Agreed." They smiled to each other with evil grins on their faces.

_Current time_

"Dialga!" Called out Shaymin's voice. The gratitude pokémon was in front of her. "You better get back to the hall of Origin! Giratina's woken up! Arceus is going to start interrogating him now." She called hurriedly.

"Thanks for telling me!" Said Dialga as she got up and prepared to fly. "Do you want to come?" She asked.

"No thanks; I've got to take out the weeds!" Yelled Shaymin as she dived into a clump of bushes.

Dialga took off. She let out a sigh of relief as she realized that she no longer had to endure the torment of not knowing if Giratina was alive or not.

_I hope we can talk after Arceus interrogates him. I wonder if he actually kept those gifts from Mrs. Amatum._

_After all, it's only 3 days until our first Valentines celebration._


	12. Chapter 12: When Questions Are Answered

Sorry if I haven't updated in a while. I've gotten lazy over the past few weeks. Well, here's chapter 12! It has fluff in it! ;) I won't tell who; you'll have to read to find out.

_~Vingle_

**

* * *

Chapter 12: When Questions Are Answered**

Giratina stood in the middle of the Hall of Origin. Arceus stood on her pedestal in front of him. He felt refreshed because of his slumber the previous night. His wounds had also disappeared. He suspected that Arcy had healed him while he was sleeping, as he heard her whisper to him during his dreams.

_It's strange, that she would go out of her way like that to help me. I was afraid that she had forgotten about me during my absence. It's nice to know that she still cares for me._

"So, Giratina, have you had a good nights sleep?" Asked Arceus.

"Yes. Please send my thanks to your daughter for healing me." Said Giratina.

"…Her actions betray her feelings." Arceus murmured. Giratina's curiosity flared at that statement. "I have some questions to ask you about your miraculous journey back. As you already know, the circumstances were very unusual. Being discovered at Spear Pillar, blind and bound, and being attacked by those Galactic humans! What did you get yourself into?"

"I freed the Lake Guardians, but then they told me that Team Galactic was planning on enslaving Palkia and Dialga with a 'Red Chain'."

"I see you have found the Griseous Orb. Did you receive it from Azelf?"

"Azelf left it with Regice and sent him to the mountain where Articuno lived. I won it from him. They both agreed to help me rescue the Lake Guardians. We came across Darkrai while we were traveling to Veilstone."

"And your battle with him caused a very large disturbance among the human world. Many humans now see you as a destroyer, a killer of things."

"That is a repercussion that I am willing to live with."

"I prophesized this. An attempt to take control of Space and Time. I was, however, unable to see it would turn out. So you freed the Lake Guardians. A difficult task for someone so young, but you have proved to be unusually strong, even among us legendaries."

"What does this mean?"

"Fate has something planned for you. I can see it."

Giratina stayed silent.

"You fancy her, don't you?"

Giratina was confused by that question. "Who?" He sputtered.

"You don't know? You will realize it in time." She said with an amused look. Giratina was still confused. "You may go spend the rest of today resting or playing; it is your choice." She said after a few moments of silence.

"Thank you." Said Giratina as he left.

Giratina launched himself off the mountain, letting his wings catch the wind. He glided to the forest down below. He closed his eyes and used his Aura sense to see the world. Colours filled his vision. He looked around until he saw her.

Giratina swooped towards her, noticing that she was at the spot where they used to play tag. He wondered what she would do there. He landed on the soft grass without a sound. She was sitting by a river staring into the unknown.

He walked up to her, hiding in the shadows. He touched her shoulder with his wing. Her head whipped around in a state of surprise. Her bright green eyes were momentarily clouded with fear. She regained her composure a moment later. She got to her feet.

"H-Hi, Giri." She stuttered. "What are you doing here?" Arcy inwardly cursed herself for asking such a stupid question. She suddenly found the stone on the ground very interesting.

"Hello, Arcy." Answered Giratina steadily as he stared into her eyes.

_She looks so cute when she's shy. Those green eyes of hers always have that spark of liveliness inside them. She's so beautiful…_

Giratina was shocked by that thought. He shook his head to drive it away.

_Did I just think she was beautiful? I've always thought she was pretty…but beautiful? Those sparkling green eyes, her snow white fur, her mesmerizing laugh…Maybe there's something else. She's always sympathetic. She always has time to spend with me. Perhaps I like her more than I realized._

"Giri, are you okay?" Asked Arcy with concern in her voice. He had been silent for about 30 seconds.

Giratina was startled out of his thoughts. "Oh, yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to see you." Said Giratina.

Arcy blushed at his comment. He actually wanted to see her? She wondered if he was really all right. She backed away slightly.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Offered Giratina. "It seems that this forest has changed in my few months of absence."

That question put Arcy into a state of shock. Giratina seemed to have really changed. Before he disappeared, Giratina would leave after tag to go do something else alone. Even then, they rarely played tag anyway. It annoyed her that he never had time to spend with her anymore. She had even started to question their friendship. Now, he was offering to take her for a walk, which surprised her to no end.

Arcy stepped backwards as she struggled to find words to describe her shock. "Um, are you really sure that, I, um, should go with you? I thought you liked-AH!" She managed to come out with a sentence and a half before she accidentally fell into the stream. She had stepped back one too many times.

Arcy plunged into the ice cold water. She hated getting wet. Her fur always absorbed the water and it weighed her down. Besides, water was **COLD**. She was shivering when Giratina pulled her out of the river.

He wrapped his wings around her, trying to keep her warm, while hugging her at the same time.

"I'll take you back home." Said Giratina soothingly as he cradled her in his wings.

"N-No thanks. I think I'll go with you on that walk." She answered quickly. She wanted to spend more time with him; it had been a while since they had been together. She blushed as she realized that her head was pressed against his chest. She broke away from the embrace, turning away to hide her blush.

"Are you sure you want to?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go." He said. They started to follow the river to where it lead.

Arceus noted that he was about a foot taller than her now. They had both grown during their time apart.

"What happened to you?" She blurted out.

Giratina was silent for a moment. "I was lost." He finally said.

"How?"

"I tried to save Mesprit from those Galactic humans. Things did not go as expected."

"Were you hurt?" Asked Arcy worriedly as she looked him over.

"Somewhat."

"Did you really destroy that section of Sinnoh with Draco Meteor?"

"It was not my intent, but yes." Giratina wondered why Teacher taught him that attack in the first place. He thought about that particular lesson.

_All dragons have a connection with the stars. Most do not realize the connection. With the right training, a dragon can learn how to manipulate and control that power. Most manage to only create a miniscule ball of energy to use against their opponents. The masters, however, can summon meteors themselves from space to rain upon their command. I myself am a master. I intend to teach you how to utilize this power. You are capable of it. So are Dialga and Palkia. But be weary of using this. It is a destructive and energy-consuming power, and should only be used as a last resort._

"I knew you wouldn't do something like that on purpose. I could trust my life to you." Said Arcy.

"Thank you. It's nice to know that someone trusts me to that extent."

Arcy smiled. "So what happened to you after that?"

"I fell unconscious. A few days later I woke up to find that a Torterra had nursed me back to health. Apparently he didn't know who I was. I left to find Azelf but when I neared the lake she told me to search the mountains for the Griseous Orb. I found myself on the top of a mountain. That was where I met Articuno and Regice."

"I've been wondering about this for a while; how does Articuno manage to survive up there? I know he's the bird of ice, but everyone has their limits! Regice is the equivalent of a robot, so it shouldn't be a problem for him."

"Looks can be deceiving. Anyway, I won the Griseous Orb from Regice after defeating him. They agreed to help me rescue the Lake Trio. We met Darkrai a few days after that and got into a fight. He joined us after he was beaten. Regice and Articuno ran through the front door while I sneaked in; Darkrai picked off Galactic members that looked particularly dangerous. I managed to release the trio, but they told me to stop the leader of the organization from using the Red Chain on Palkia and Dialga."

"The Red Chain?"

"Some sort of artifact that takes over the mind of a pokémon; even a legendary. Ever notice those red jewels on the Lake Guardians heads?"

"Yes."

"I think the Red Chain is a duplication of those gems. I destroyed one of them; Dialga's Roar of Time shattered the other. The man fell off the mountain and you saved me. I think that's where my journey ends."

"You must have suffered a lot." Said Arcy as she stroked a scar on Giratina's leg.

Giratina didn't respond.

"Giri?"

"I was driven by an instinct. The urge to see my friends again. Sometimes I felt scared when I realized that I was alone."

"Oh, Giri." Whispered Arcy as she nuzzled his neck. "We'll always be around. Especially me. I'll always be there for you."

Giratina was shocked by her action but did not resist. He could feel her soft fur pressing against his neck. He felt blood rising to his cheeks.

He bent down to pluck a tulip that was growing near him. He offered it to Arcy, who accepted it with a shy smile.

"Thank you." He whispered. He looked into her bright green eyes. She smiled back. It was a bright and friendly smile.

They leaned closer to each other. Their heads were very close together. Her lips were very close to his. Giratina half closed his eyes.

Suddenly she turned her head. Giratina was disappointed that such an important moment in his life was ruined. He suddenly felt very weary.

"Hey Giri!" Called a voice from above. Giratina turned to see Dialga flying towards them. Her blue and gray form landed lightly on the grass beside them.

Dialga looked amused and embarrassed as she looked at the pair in front of her. "Sorry if I disturbed you two."

Giratina narrowed his eyes. Arcy started to walk away. "I'll see you later!" She called as she ran.

Giratina sighed to himself. Apparently fate just **HAD** to ruin that moment. He really hated Murphy's Law.

"Giri, I've been looking all over Sinnoh for you! What were you doing with Arcy?" Asked Dialga curiously.

"We were catching up with each other." Stated Giratina coldly. He Will-O-Wisped a nearby clump of trees.

Dialga flinched visibly at his display of anger. "Look, I'm sorry if I ruined your moment or something. You can always meet her later." She said.

Giratina started charging and dissipating Aura Spheres in his wing. He didn't really know what he was doing, but he had to release his anger somehow; keeping it bottled up held some serious consequences.

Dialga eyed the glowing ball of energy nervously. She wondered if he would actually strike her with it. After about a minute, Giratina let it go for good.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." He apologized.

"It's okay. Do you want to know what's happened while you were away?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever meet Mew?"

"A few times."

"He's gotten crazy. Not crazy-crazy, but you know, hyper. We have to keep all sweets and sugars out of the Hall of Origin."

"He has always been a very energetic person."

"But his energy levels are absurd. He could probably power the entire Sinnoh region if he was put on a treadmill. Palkia... Palkia has…changed. He's a lot nicer to me now.

"Palkia?"

"Yes, Palkia."

"I guess people change over time. Are there any other legendaries I haven't met?

"Deoxys will be back in about 1500 years. Arceus sent her and her brothers to explore space. Their all amazingly fast, but it takes a while for them to travel."

"I've never met her."

"She and her brothers were created and sent out while you were missing. You should also meet Shaymin when you get the chance; she's really nice, but don't touch her garden. Mew learned that the hard way. Would you like to visit her?"

Giratina nodded. He would have to spend the rest of the day doing something.

_I should ask Shaymin what about what she did to Mew. _

"Follow me; it's near Turnback Cave, so you should be able to visit it whenever you want." Said Dialga as she flew off. Giratina followed.

They soared through the air towards Shaymin's garden. They landed in next to the fountain.

"Shaymin's one of the newer legendaries, so that would explain why you never noticed this place." Said Dialga. "Shay! Are you here?" She called as she looked around.

"Right here, Dia!" A small but energetic voice called out. A bush rustled and Shaymin poked her head out from it. "What's on your mind?"

"I've brought a friend." Answered Dialga. She looked at Giratina.

"Hello." Giratina said. He held out a wing.

"Hi! I'm Shaymin! You must be Giratina!" Said Shaymin excitedly as she shook his wing with a paw. "Dialga's told me so much about you!"

"She did?" Giratina cocked his equivalent of an eyebrow. Dialga smiled.

"Of course! Your one of her closest friends!" Said Shaymin. Giratina blushed.

"Oh, er, do you need help with anything?" Asked Giratina in attempt to change the subject.

"I need to dig some holes in order to plant these Pecha trees; can you lend a hand?"

"Absolutely." Said Giratina as he followed Shaymin to one of the few spots that wasn't covered by plants. He looked back at Dialga, who was thinking about something.

"Dialga, are you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, right, yes, I'm coming." Said Dialga as she ran to catch up.

* * *

_5 hours later_

They had finally dug up all 8 holes without any particular trouble. Giratina had attempted to make a hole in the ground by smashing an Aura Sphere into it but ended up blasting dirt and grass in every direction. Shaymin was covered in soil, but she didn't seem to mind the slightest, which was surprising for someone who was considered vain.

Giratina looked up at the sky. It was getting dark. He turned to Shaymin.

"I think I will go now." He said.

"Thanks for helping! You can come back any time you want! See you soon!"

Giratina looked at Dialga. "Where are you going?"

"Looking for Palkia." Her answer caught Giratina by surprise. His curiosity flared, but he decided not to pry.

"Well, I will see you later."

"You too. It's good to have you back." She whispered to him before she flew off.

Giratina headed towards the Hall of Origin. He headed for his room when he arrived.

"Hey Giratina!"

Giratina saw Darkrai floating towards him. "Hello."

"I hope your prepared for tomorrow! It's gonna be a big day!"

"What's happening tomorrow?"

"You don't know? Today's February 13. I'm going off with Articuno and Regice to get some last minute shopping done; we're not big fans of that event, but we don't want to show up with nothing. You wanna come?"

"No thank you, Rai. I already have all the gifts that I require."

"Okay! Check your calendar if you don't know!" He said over his shoulder as he floated out the entrance.

Giratina entered his room. It looked exactly like how he left it a year ago. He picked up the calendar beside his bed.

_February 13. The day before Valentines Day. So that's what Darkrai meant._

Giratina pulled out a chest he had hidden. He had cloaked it with dark energy in case anyone decided to search his room. It was made of Ebony with Onyx studded on the exterior. On the inside, it was covered in Velvet. Inside lay the crystalline flower and perfume that Mrs. Amatum had given him. He placed a very large bouquet of flowers and roses beside the chest. He had picked all of them from Shaymin's garden, as she gave him permission.

Giratina held up the flower and perfume, careful not to damage the items, and studied them.

_Is this what Mrs. Amatum wanted me to do with these? Use them for Valentines Day? That must have been what she meant. I don't use perfume, nor do I find a flower made of crystal useful._

Giratina carefully placed both objects back in the chest, and placed it along with the bouquet, in a niche in the wall. He then proceeded to hide them with dark energy.

As Giratina lay on his bed, he thought about what had happened between him and Arcy.

_I remember when I first played tag with her. I felt connected. Along with an urge to protect her. And I still feel that connection today. We would have kissed today, if Dialga hadn't had that untimely arrival. Maybe my feelings for her have grown beyond fondness._

_I feel it in my heart. It will always be there._

_Not even death can stop me._


	13. Chapter 13: When Feelings Are Uncovered

**Chapter 13: When Feelings Are Uncovered**

Giratina awoke early in the morning. When he looked around, he found that everyone else was still asleep. Except for Shaymin. He had been told that she only needed 5 hours of sleep.

_That explains why she has so much time to work on her garden. _

He then remembered his discovery last night. He felt slightly nervous about today.

_So today is Valentine's Day. I wonder what it is like. Do you outright tell your valentine? Or do you spend the day playing and then realize it after? Ugh…I have no idea. I will just go along with what everyone else is doing, although I don't think anyone has any experience. Maybe Dialga knows. I'll ask if I find her._

Giratina left the Hall of Origin and started flying around. He didn't have a particular destination in mind; he just felt like flying. Feeling the cool air against his head helped calm his nerves.

He circled around a mountain about 5 times before executing a loop and spin, which was then followed by a plummet towards the ground. He pulled up sharply right before he could make a crater in the ground.

Giratina always preferred his Origin form, as the others always called it, when in the air, as he weighed slightly less (200 pounds made a **huge** difference) and was more streamlined. Having six wings also helped steer him. His 'altered' form was tougher, however. It was also the one best suited for ground activities and combat. It was limited to only three Aura Spheres (he used his mouth when his wings were occupied) while his Origin Form could handle up to seven (six wing advantage kicks in again). The trick was to find a balance between the two forms.

He was high enough to be unrecognizable but not high enough to not be invisible. One thing that amused him was that their was the occasional report of a 'giant flying snake with tentacles' being sighted around the Sinnoh region.

Maybe I'll go visit the Eon siblings. I don't think I've met them before, but Dialga said that Latias is an energetic fun-lover while Latios is an overprotective control freak. It would be interesting to see how we get along.

He made up his mind. He would spend the morning at Alto Mare. This was one of the occasions where he was thankful that Teacher made him memorize every single location and city in **the entire pokémon world.**

He veered towards the direction where the Johto region was. He really wished he could teleport, but he would have to wait until Teacher taught him how to open portals between the Reverse World and Pokémon World.

* * *

_2 hours later_

Giratina entered his ghost form as he neared the city. It wasn't worth attracting the attention of an entire city just to meet someone. He used his Aura vision to see where they were. He detected a very large source of Aura in a forest located in the middle of the city. His vision returned to normal, but the location had disappeared; Giratina suspected that it was invisible to outsiders.

Strange, that a place would be invisible to the rest of the world. What is so important about that location? I guess I shall find out.

He sensed the world through Aura again and flew towards the forest, while he was still cloaked. As he reached the forest, he felt resistance, as though there was a barrier in his way. He broke it easily, however, and landed lightly in the forest, which turned out to resemble a garden, albeit a very large one.

As he looked around, he saw that there was a large jewel of some kind that was sitting atop a fountain-like structure. Giratina sensed that a large reserve of energy was stored inside it. He stepped towards the structure.

As he neared it, he could detect something strange about.

_It's living…someone's Aura resides in it. Dear Arceus, what is that?_

Suddenly, a shockwave slammed into Giratina. He staggered into a tree, only to get knocked down by someone.

As he struggled to get up, a voice sounded in front of him.

"Stay away from that! Who are you? What is your business here?" Said a blue dragon angrily as he hovered in front of Giratina.

That must be Latios.

"It's no use cloaking yourself! I can see you!" The voice erupted again. Giratina revealed himself.

"You have no right to attack me." He said.

"You are trespassing! Trespassers must be dealt with accordingly!"

"I didn't come here for a fight." Said Giratina, anger starting to rise inside him. "But I will fight you if I have to."

"Leave!"

"I just want to look around and say hello!"

Latios dived at Giratina. He barely managed to dodge it by leaning to the side. He ducked to avoid another attempt to Steal Wing him in the head. He got very angry now. He lashed out with a wing and grabbed Latios midair.

"ARRGHH!" Screamed the blue Eon dragon. He struggled to break Giratina's grasp. It was a fruitless attempt.

Giratina charged an Aura Sphere with his other wing and prepared to smash it into Latios. As he was about to slam it, a voice cried out from the side.

"Stop! Please! Leave him alone!"

Giratina turned his head to see a smaller, red version of Latios hurrying towards them with a worried look on her face: Latias.

"What are you doing!" She said.

"Oh, nothing in particular; just looking around and seeing things, until this **CRAZY BLUE BIRD HERE ATTACKED ME FOR NO REASON!**"

"Bird? Ha! Your one to talk! Your more like an oversized Caterpie than a dragon!" Yelled a muffled voice from within Giratina's enclosed wing. Giratina clenched it even further, ignoring the scream of pain.

"Please, let him go! He didn't mean any harm; he's just really protective of our home!" Begged Latias. Giratina grudgingly obliged and let the Aura Sphere disappear. The blue dragon attempted to fly into Giratina again but was restrained by his sister.

"Brother, please calm down. He obviously didn't come here to destroy anything." She said soothingly.

"He was about to touch the Soul Dew!" Thundered Latios.

"He's just curious. It's not like he's going to destroy it or anything." Said Latias with a hint of annoyance in her voice at her brother's stubbornness. She turned to Giratina. "So who are you?" She asked curiously.

"Giratina." He said as he held out a wing. She shook it warmly. She tilted her head.

"Shaymin mentioned you. Apparently Dialga's really depressed about you. Where did you go to get her all upset and stuff?"

"I was separated from them for a few months." Said Giratina with a painful smile. He did not like reminiscing about that journey.

"How sad! Did you return yet?"

"Yes."

"Good for you!" She said happily as she ran to hug him. Latios rolled his eyes.

"I haven't introduced myself, have I?" She said. "Well, I'm Latias, and you've already met my brother, Latios. We're the Eon legendaries. Are you really the guardian of the Reverse World?" She said excitedly.

"Not yet. I still have a few years left before I'm ready." He chuckled. "Anyway, I was here to meet you guys, seeing as I don't really know you two. Also, do you know that today is Valentine's Day?"

Latias' eyes grew wide. "Valentine's Day? Isn't that a human celebration?"

"We're trying it out to see if it's something worth practicing every year." Said Giratina with a grin.

A smile grew on her face and she turned to her brother. Latios shut his eyes as if he knew what would be coming next.

"Absolutely n-" He began but was interrupted.

"OH MY GOSH YOU HAVE TO TAKE ME!" She screamed into his ears at a lightning fast speed.

"-ot." He finished meekly. He backed away as she took in a deep breath. "Okay! Okay! Just stop screaming!"

"Woohoo! Thanks Latios!" She said happily as she hugged her brother. "I have to get something to give to my Valentine!"

"Let's go to Sinnoh first; there are some really nice shops located in that region." Suggested Giratina.

"Come on Latios! I'll race you there!" Said Latias as she flew off at a blinding speed. Latios took off after her. Giratina did the same.

"How am I supposed to keep up with them? I'm too heavy to fly at 150 miles an hour…maybe Ghost Form will do." Said Giratina as he reverted to said form and flew.

* * *

_6 hours later_

"Finished!" Exclaimed Latias. They had flown to Sinnoh in two hours, but they took another four hours to run around the region shopping. Latios didn't really care; so all the things they bought were for Latias. Pink hats, pink scarves, pink Violets (colored by professional gardeners), anything that was pink. All that pink made Giratina dizzy. He actually thought that she preferred red, but he turned out to be wrong.

"Do you really need all that?" Asked Giratina. He was carrying all of Latias' possessions, as he was the strongest lifter.

"Of course! I just want to be prepared. It **IS** my first Valentines, you know." Latias answered.

"Don't bother arguing with her; she always wins." Muttered Latios into Giratina's ear. Giratina took his advice.

"Well, have fun. I will go find the other guys." Said Giratina as he flew towards the forest below. He located Articuno and the others with the help of his Aura sight. They were in a clearing surrounded by trees. He flew towards them.

"Hey Gira!" Said Articuno as Giratina landed near them. "We're just telling each other what we got for Valentine's Day."

"Let's sum it up so Giratina knows." Said Darkrai.

"I made an enormous statue of Zapdos for her." Said Articuno. He seemed slightly self-conscious of what he got for her.

"I GOT EVERYONE CANDY!" Yelled Mew. Articuno and Darkrai rolled their eyes. Regice chuckled. Giratina stayed silent. He was indifferent towards candy.

"I got Cresselia a Lunatone." Said Darkrai. He chuckled to himself. "It should make quite the companion."

"I MADE A GLACIER FOR REGISTEEL." Said Regice.

All eyes turned to the ice golem. Eyebrows were raised (or their equivalent of one). Mew flew in circles around them, oblivious to what was just said.

"Did I hear you correctly?" Said Articuno. Even though Regice was an ice legendary, he had his limits. Glaciers were large. And knowing Regice, he probably made the biggest one in existence. "You made a glacier for Registeel?"

"UH…YES." Answered Regice.

"It's just 'Valentine's Day'. It's not worth killing yourself just for that." Said Darkrai.

"IT'S WORTH IT FOR ME." Rumbled the Ice legendary. Darkrai didn't argue.

"Then why?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HER."

Everyone's jaw dropped. A dumbfounded expression found its way to Darkrai's face. It was big news.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Giratina asked a question. "How long did it take you?"

"CANDY! -ACK!" Interrupted Mew right before Darkrai grabbed him and started to strangle him.

"Shut up! Shut up! You stupid cat!" Yelled Darkrai. "You've ruined enough of my days with your mindless blabber about candy!"

Everyone just looked on, oblivious to the scene in front of them. No one liked Mews behavior; in fact, many downright hated him. Giratina often wondered why Arceus made Mew in the first place. The fact that there used to be many hundreds of them made him shudder.

"IT TOOK ME ABOUT A MONTH TO SHAPE IT. MAKING THE THING ITSELF IS EASY" Said Regice. Giratina nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Everyone then turned and looked at Giratina except for Darkrai, who was still strangling Mew.

"So what are you getting for her?" Asked Articuno curiously.

"Who?"

"You know who I'm talking about. Arcy! Everyone's noticed that there's something going on between you two."

"Where did you hear about that?" Growled Giratina. He was starting to get cranky.

"Mew over there told us about it. Apparently he was spying on you two and saw that you almost kissed." Said Articuno as he pointed at the pink feline, who was still struggling to escape the nightmare legendary's deathly grip.

Giratina floated over to Darkrai. "Let me." He said as he wrapped his wings around Mew's throat. Darkrai floated aside.

Giratina resumed what Darkrai started, albeit with a much more malicious intent.

"DIE YOU MISERABLE EXCUSE FOR A LEGENDARY!" Roared Giratina. He stopped strangling for a moment. "HOW DARE YOU SPY ON ME!"

"I was just curious-" Began Mew but stopped after Giratina resumed his strangling.

After a few minutes, Giratina threw him into a nearby mountain. An audible boom was heard. Giratina then flew towards the site.

* * *

"How long do you think Mew will last?" Said Darkrai as they watched Giratina fly.

"Twenty minutes." Said Articuno.

"I'M GOING TO SAY TWENTY AS WELL." Put in Regice.

"I estimate that there it will take Giratina two minutes." Said Darkrai.

"WHATEVER HAPPENS, MEW IS DEAD."

"Agreed. Care to place a wager?" Said Darkrai. He put on a smile, which was rare.

"The stakes?"

"Fifteen Oran Berries each to the winner." Said Darkrai.

"I'm in."

"ME TOO."

They shook hands.

* * *

Mew was terrified. From the things Dialga had told people about Giratina, one of them was that he could disappear and kill people from behind. Mew hated having things sneak up on him from behind.

He teleported numerous times to random locations while still remaining in the Mount Coronet area, attempting to flee from the ghost dragon's murderous rage. He ended up on a slope on the mountain.

"I think he's lost me…" Said Mew to himself. He looked around. Nothing in sight. "I think I've escaped."

An Aura Sphere from above proved him wrong. The glowing ball of energy blew up the chunk of rock that Mew was standing on.

"AAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGHHH!" Screamed Mew as high as his vocal range could muster. He flew for his life.

"COME BACK HERE!"

Mew narrowly dodged a Dragon Breath sent flying his way. He couldn't risk getting paralyzed, or else he would be at Giratina's mercy. And since Giratina was trying to MURDER him right now, mercy was out of the question.

Mew looked back. Giratina was gone. Mew looked to his front.

Giratina suddenly appeared in front of Mew. He prepared to ram into the cat-like legendary.

"Oh, that's not fair." He muttered. He teleported right before he was crushed by the impact.

He opened his eyes. He was in the forest.

A Turtwig ran up to him. It had a look of awe on its face.

"Wow! Your Mew! I can't believe I'm meeting you today!" The Leaf pokémon said excitedly.

Mew nodded his head. He had a feeling Giratina would find him here.

"What are you doing in this forest?" Asked the Turtwig.

"A dragon is after me." Answered Mew with a grimace.

"You shouldn't be scared! Your Mew! You can beat anything!"

"I'm not too sure of that…" Said Mew before an Aura Sphere blasted him into the ground.

The Turtwig stepped backwards and looked up. He almost fainted when he saw Giratina floating above the trees.

"DRACO METEOR!" Called Giratina.

"Nice seeing you." Said the Turtwig to Mew quickly before running off. Every other pokémon in the vicinity also noticed Giratina's presence and fled.

A single meteorite flew from the sky and smashed into Mew, incinerating the surrounding forest. It left a large trail from the sky. A large boom was heard.

Giratina floated down to the forest floor. He pulled Mew's unconscious form from the ground and captured him with a poke ball. He had acquired it from a friendly trainer in Veilstone.

He gave an evil smile as he watched Mew turn into energy and fly into the spherical device.

_Perhaps I can present this as a gift to the other legendaries. Arceus knows that everyone is tired of Mew's antics._

He looked up at the sky. It was dark. He flew towards Mount Coronet.

Meanwhile, Articuno and Regice were giving Darkrai his berries.

"Looks like I'm better at predicting than you." Said the nightmare legendary with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up."

They followed Giratina. Darkrai started juggling the berries.

Articuno was surprised by Darkrai's behavior. "I didn't know you could juggle."

"It looks impressive. It also shows that I am skillful with my hands."

"YOUR SHOWING OFF FOR CRESSELIA, AREN'T YOU?"

Darkrai's body stiffened, though he did not stop juggling.

Articuno and Regice high-fived each other.

"Drop dead." Said Darkrai as he flew off. The two ice legendaries snickered to each other. They had something to blackmail Darkrai with.

* * *

Giratina flew through the doors of the Hall of Origin. All the legendaries residing in there looked at him with surprise.

"Where have you been?" Said Dialga. She was standing beside Palkia.

"Took the Eon duo out shopping; I went Mew hunting after."

Everyone laughed.

"Well, did you find him?"

Giratina held out the poke ball. Dialga raised her equivalent of an eyebrow.

"I caught him."

Silence met his response. He gave the poke ball to Dialga.

Suddenly, everyone started cheering. Many of the legendaries ran forward to pat him on the back. The rest broke into fits of laughter.

"First time a legendary has been caught!" Joked Raikou. Suicune laughed beside him.

"Nice job, Giratina!"

"Way to go!"

"Mew won't be screaming about candy anytime soon, that's for sure."

"Gosh, Giratina, did you have to burn down **another** section of a forest?" Came the annoyed voice of Celebi.

"For the sake of our sanity, yes." Answered Giratina steadily.

"Can't argue with that." More laughter.

The ghost dragon looked around the room. She was nowhere to be found. He decided to search for her.

Giratina walked into his room. He took out the chest and opened it. He took the bouquet of flowers in his mouth while he levitated the perfume and flower beside him. He needed both wings for flight.

He headed towards the exit.

"Hey, where are you going? Valentine's Day should be celebrated here!"

Giratina shrugged.

"Have fun Giratina! I know she'll be really happy!" Called out Articuno. Darkrai and Regice snickered.

Giratina rolled his eyes and flew out into the open. He had great night vision, but he found his Aura Sight more useful for finding people.

He had not seen her in the Hall of Origin, and he intended to find her.

* * *

Arcy stood by the river; on the exact same spot from yesterday. She felt depressed. She was the only legendary who didn't have someone to be with. Heck, even Heatran had Regigigas to spend the day with.

She felt a pang of jealousy. It was difficult being the daughter of the creator of the universe. Everyone expected you to be all knowing and serious, but that was easier said than done. They all looked up to her, as she was technically their leader. She was only about a year older than the rest though, with the exception of Giratina.

_It's not fair. I didn't ask to be in this position. I can't play with my friends anymore. I don't have time to talk with anyone except for mother; no time to socialize. Mother says I have to grow up to be responsible and mature like her, but it will take some time before I will be in her position. I just want a chance to live my life before I reach adulthood._

She sat down heavily. She felt tears form in her eyes. The sadness of being alone for Valentine's Day came back to her. She laid her head on her forelegs and started to sob.

* * *

He had found her.

Giratina landed silently behind Arcy and took the bouquet with one of his wings. He wondered why she was here alone instead of in the Hall of Origin. He saw that her head was buried in her arms.

"What are you doing here?" He asked curiously. She stayed silent. He walked up to her side and laid a comforting wing on her shoulder.

She slowly lifted her head, though she did not look at him. He was surprised to find that her face was streaked with tears. Sadness clouded her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently.

She didn't answer. She finally said something after a few moments. "Having power is a difficult position."

"Why?"

"Because it's lonely at the top."

Giratina stayed silent.

"Since I'm the daughter of Arceus herself, everyone expects me to act like her. I can't play with anyone since I am always with mother. She is the only person I can talk to most of the time." Arcy paused. "And I'm all alone for Valentine's Day. No one asked me."

Giratina felt pity well up inside him. He stroked her fur. He leaned in so close that their heads were almost touching.

"Your wrong." He said.

"What do you mean?" She asked, surprised.

Giratina took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Arcy, will you be my valentine?" He managed to get those six words out.

Silence met his words. Arcy was looking at him with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

"Really?" She whispered. Her green eyes were wide open, boring into his, searching, questioning.

"Yes." He answered. He held out the bouquet to her. She accepted it with a slight smile.

"That is not my only gift." He said. Taking the perfume and crystalline flower in both of his wings. "Will you accept these?"

Her eyes grew even wider. "These are for…me?"

"Of course. The perfume will complement your sweet scent, while the crystal flower is a symbol of our friendship." He said with a smile.

He suddenly found himself caught in a hug. She nuzzled his head gently. He wrapped his wings around her, enjoying the warmth of her fur. He closed his eyes.

After a few moments, she broke the embrace. Giratina was slightly confused. Arcy leaned in and closed her eyes as well.

He felt her soft lips pressing on his cheek in a long sweet kiss. After a few seconds, her lips left.

"Thank you." She whispered. "This means a lot to me."

Giratina felt himself blush. They smiled at each other.

He sat against a tree with Arcy lying against him. She spoke again after a while.

"Do you remember when I told you that I could trust you with my life?"

"Yes. What about it?"

Arcy held out a small object to him. He saw that it was shaped like a coffin and had the colors of the rainbow inside it. It was surrounded by a gray aura.

"This is my Valentine's Day gift to you."

"What is it?"

"One of my plates. The Ghost Plate, to be exact. It amplifies the abilities of ghost type pokémon." She went on. "They are also crucial to my life; without them, I will die."

Giratina's crimson eyes widened. He had never known that she would actually give him a role that would decide whether she survived or not. He slowly took it with his wing.

"Are you sure that you can trust me with this?" He asked in disbelief.

"I'm sure of it." She said with a smile. "Just promise that you won't leave."

"I promise."

"Thank you for being there for me. You're my closest friend."

"Same here." He answered.

She leaned her head against his chest and let out a soft sigh. Her breathing told him that she was asleep.

He smelled her fur. Still the same, with that sweet flowery smell. He closed his eyes and started to fall asleep in her arms. He looked forward to tomorrow.

_Maybe something could grow out of this._

_Just maybe._

_

* * *

_

This chapter took me a really long time to write. Maybe that's why number 13 is so unlucky... I'm glad that Arcy got something for her first Valentine's Day! Poor Mew...I guess that teaches you not to spy on legendaries, especially Giratina. :P

Thanks to all my reviewers, especially Sora532 and Godmodder Studios! And thank you J&M, your comments and support really helped!

GIRATINA FTW!

Keep reading!

_GL HF GG_,

_~Vingle_


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